To the Bright and Shining Sun [Paperback]

James Lee Burke (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 5, 1995

A determined seventeen-year-old youth struggles to escape the violence of the Cumberland mining region of eastern Kentucky, in a novel that captures the atmosphere and landscape of Appalachia in the early 1960s. Reprint.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

These titles, published throughout the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s, represent Burke's early work before the creation of his now famous Cajun detective, Dave Robicheaux. Each features protagonists forced to make tough decisions that will forever change the paths of their lives (LJ 3/1/65, LJ 7/70, LJ 1/15/72).
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

James Lee Burke is the author of many previous novels, including twelve featuring Detective Dave Robicheaux. He lives with his wife, Pearl, in Missoula, Montana and New Iberia, Louisiana. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Hyperion (October 5, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786880120
• ISBN-13: 978-0786880126
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #417,995 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

James Lee Burke, a rare winner of two Edgar Awards, is the author of twenty-three previous novels, including such New York Times bestsellers as Bitterroot, Purple Cane Road, Cimarron Rose, Jolie Blon's Bounce, and Dixie City Jam. He lives in Missoula, Montana, and New Iberia, Louisiana.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

45 of 47 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Gritty tale of a young Kentucky miner, May 14, 1998

By 

Casey Stewart "kcfoxy: accept no substitute" (San Joaquin Delta) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: To the Bright and Shining Sun (Paperback)

One of Burke's earlier novels, is stark and unrelenting in it's honest depiction of the plight of a young Kentucky miner. I did not feel the story quite as fully realized as the later Dave Robicheaux detective novels, but it was haunting and evocative all the same.

The young miner, age 17, has been reared in the Cumberland Gap area of Kentucky. Raised in stark beauty and crushing poverty, he yearns for something more. I won't ruin the story by giving away too much, but there is alot of heartache then ultimate triumph.

Nothing candy-coated with Burke. We are made to feel the loss of loved ones, the terrible violence of the mines, the hard-scrabble existance and the brief, happy moments in an otherwise dark tale. Not light reading, this slim volume will make you pause and reflect.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Unrelenting, August 2, 2010

By 

TechComm (Smithfield, RI USA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: To the Bright and Shining Sun (Paperback)

Very good story, but definitely early James Lee Burke. The main character is strongly done, but some of the secondary characters could use more depth. It is interesting to see the development of the young James. Toward the end of the novel the humanity of the central characters is displayed amidst a brutal conflict, with vicious acts by both sides of the conflict. In the end it is vintage James Lee Burke with his clear view of a flawed, moral man attempting to walk his own path through the craters of his families and communities circumstances. Well worth the read.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Life in the holler, July 1, 2011

By 

Andrew Thomann (Shepherdstown, WV USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: To the Bright and Shining Sun (Paperback)

To the Bright and Shining Sun is a gritty and unflinching look at the realities of life in a holler for a coal-mining family and the surrounding community. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys Southern fiction.