The Enduring Hills [Paperback]

Janice Holt Giles (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 9, 1988

" The Enduring Hills was Janice Holt Giles's first novel. Originally published in 1950, the novel is based in part on her own courtship and introduction to the Kentucky mountain country. Giles's first novel introduces Hod and Mary Pierce and begins her trilogy of the people of Appalachia. Hod Pierce, a boy not unlike Henry Giles, who grows up on Piney Ridge, where generations of Pierces have made a living from the stubborn soil. Hod loves his people and the land but longs also for wider horizons, for more education, and for the freedom he imagines can be found in the outside world. It takes World War II to carry Hod away from the Ridge and out into the great world, and it is a long time before he comes back. After the war is over, Hod settles into marriage and a factory job in the city. Finally it is Mary, his city-bred wife, who sees at last that to Hod, Piney Ridge will always be home. In her preface to the second edition, Mrs. Giles wrote, "I believe [the story] is timeless and as the hands of the clock have turned and turned, people are turning back to the earth, knowing now that saving this earth is the most important work in the world, that we must all become, as Hod and Mary Pierce did, a man and woman with faith in the earth."

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A timeless story." -- Bowling Green Daily News

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: The University Press of Kentucky (August 9, 1988)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0813101859
• ISBN-13: 978-0813101859
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #442,862 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Wonderful Book about the Things that Matter, November 2, 1999

By 

Mary Johnson (Pierce County, WA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Enduring Hills (Paperback)

Janice Holt Giles is one of my favorite authors, and her first novel is excellent. Anyone who has ever read "Miss Willie" or "Tara's Healing" will love learning how it all started with Hod and Mary. Her descriptions of the Kentucky mountains and the lifestyle there are concise. I especially enjoy reading about Hod's thoughts and the moral dilemmas he faces as he grows older. This book contains several interesting points for us all to ponder, and the plot moves along nicely. I highly recommend it, as well as any other books by Janice Holt Giles!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Makes me miss those hills, December 21, 2007

By 

WillieB (Silicon Valley, California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Enduring Hills (Paperback)

If you like the Mitford series, Little House on the Prarie, and All Creatures Great and Small series you are bound to like this story. I can't wait to read all the rest she wrote!

And while you are at it, check out The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series.

5.0 out of 5 stars I Loved This Book, June 6, 2011

By 

J. Hagg "Wholly His" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Enduring Hills (Paperback)

They were about to discard "The Enduring Hills," at my sister in law's church when she said she wanted it. She read and really enjoyed it. She then loaned it to me to read. I loved it. It isn't a syrupy romance novel, but the well written tale of real people from the hills of Kentucky and their joys and struggles. The ending was very touching and brought me back to what really matters. While there is a rightful place for money and the material possessions money buys, in and of themselves they do not make for contentment and true happiness. A richness of relationships with God, family and faithful friends are are one part of the recipe for true happiness. Another part is fulfilling work and time to enjoy the blessings of nature. The best things in life aren't free, but require diligent work. Even so, they are simple and do not force a person to go faster than the speed of thought. Today's hectic pace has caused people to lose touch with life's true treasures, which we definitely need to rediscover. "The Enduring Hills" helps one to do just that. I love to write and read well written poetry. Much of the author's writing style reminds me of well written poetry.