Customer Reviews

Alex Stewart: Portrait of a Pioneer

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4 star:		(1)
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The question/answer format of this book captures the feelings and emotions emitted by Alex Stewart. As each chapter unfolded, I gained additional insight into the "tough" life of a Appalachian family in the early 1900s. The number of skills possessed by Alex Stewart is remarkable. I agree with the author; when Alex Stewart died, an entire library of information went to the grave with him. I've ordered a copy for my 82 year old mother. She will be thrilled to read about making "lye soap", curing meat, and the many other skills discussed.

This is an amazing tale about an amazing man. For anyone who grew up in the Appalachian Mountain region, or who has an interest in the region, this book is an absolute must read. The television and print media have gone out of their way to play up the "stupid hillbilliy" vision of these people. Alex Stewart puts that to rest, and then some. I was amazed at the many skills Alex possessed and I was deeply touched by the depth of the relationship between Alex and the author. People like Alex Stewart are disappearing rapidly, soon not to be seen again. We would all do well to learn about them and learn from them.

I bought this book at the Museum of Appalachia (also founded by the author) on my first visit to Tennessee. The book is almost entirely a transcript of a dialogue/interview between the author and Alex Stewart. At first, I thought this would be a strange format, but as I read on, I discovered that this would be the only way to authentically capture the mind and spirit of Alex on paper.

If you're not from the South, you might find Alex's dialect charminging unusual. A few times I had to read a passage over and over again to fully understand what words Alex was saying. Here is an example where it took me a while to realize that Alex meant "Lord" when kept saying "Law":

"They didn't have no men folks, but they had several children. Making liquor was the only way they had of making a living. Law, they had it hard."

The author cleverly asks questions to get Alex to reveal his pioneer wisdom. More than that, though, the author's selections and chapter arrangements helped to organize the sprawling encyclopedia of Alex's mind.

By the time I reached the end, I was sad to have the "conversation" over. I felt I had known Alex a bit personally, and I mourned at his passing. It was joyous reading while it lasted and my heart ached to know more of Alex.

This is a fabulous book I can't recommend enough. 10 STARS.

This was of special interest to me since I live near the location of this book. I simply could not put it down until I read it cover to cover.

A fascinating look at our early pioneer families, the hardships they endured, and the genius of their innovations.

A great read.

For 90 years or so, Mr. Stewart lived in the hills about 70 miles north of Knoxville, alternately ignoring and observing the 20th Century in America. He came from an era when just about everybody had just about nothing unless he or she made it him or herself. Therefore, he learned how to make everything from clothes to crops to houses to housewares; how to raise vegetables and animals, hunt and collect both, cook meat and medicines, and so on. He walked nearly everywhere he ever went until middle-age. His first ten years of life were spent without even the "improvement" of outhouses. Mr. Irwin recorded hundreds of hours of conversation with Alex over 20 years or so, then edited them into this Q & A volume about life between 1890 and 1980. He did a nice job of it, too. I recently visited my new in-laws who live not far from Knoxville, and was shown this book and told to read a bit while I was there. I devoured the whole thing in a three-day visit. While I was not totally ignorant of the culture of the Cumberlands, the Southern Applachians and the Smoky Mountains, having listened to its music for 50 years, viewed the old movie "Sergeant York" and read a biography of the Carter Family, this book really brings it home. Alex Stewart's life is a saga of hardships, hard aches, heartaches, hard knocks, and NO handouts. It's also a life of accomplishment, and toward its close, much acclaim for his craftsmanship of scores of useful items. If you want to learn about a largely vanished way of life, and the strengths of those who lived in that close-to-nature culture, this is a great way to begin.

This is an amazing book about Alex Stewart, an Appalachian survivor. It is told from an interview style where Alex explains how he learned to make different utilitarian items that his family and community needed to survive. He also tells stories of how he learned what plants healed people from illnesses, learned the skills to survive the harsh locations of the Appalachian mountains and loved life with every ounce of his body.
My Appalachian born grandparents read it cover to cover over and over and then had to travel to the Museum of Appalachia in Norris, Tenn to see the common items they remembered with Alex throughout the book. John Rice Irwin, the founder of the Museum of Appalachia is a gifted historian and this shines through in any of his books, written to remember the people of Appalachia. He also seeks to capture this throughout his living Appalachian village, the Museum of Appalachia. A MUST visit and A MUST read for any Appalachian native.

i recently read the book about alex stewart and i have to say that it was so good. i loved it. alex was so talented and as the book stated "he was a national treasure." i would liked to have met him. any craft the author asked him about, he responded that he could make it. what a unique human being. he was warm, endearing, and a very kind and gentle man. he told completely the life of the pioneer to john brice irwin and the book is so well written. it was a joy to read and told in detail of the hardships the people of that era had to indure. i felt by the end of the book the sadness of alex stewart's death and that i had gotten to know him well.

I have read this book and it is all true. Alex was my great uncle. I remember as a child going to his house and striping cane for molasses. They would start early in the morning and work all day. Before uncle Alex died my father took me to see him. I'll never forget a small wooden carving he had of a racoon in a tree with two or three dogs at the base of the tree. He was a very gentle man with a lot of heart. I am very honored to have known this man and loved this man.

I met a relative of Alex Stewart, or I'd have never heard about him. Bought the book because his life sounded intriguing. I wasn't disappointed! Interesting man! Fantastic book!

Our young people of today know nothing of what it took to make us what we are. People like Alex lived the hard life and made due. Very few today could live like people of his generation did and survive.