Far Appalachia: Following the New River North [Hardcover]

Noah Adams (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 10, 2001

With his sharp eye and gentle wit, Noah Adams doesn't just tell stories, he lets them unfold -- quietly, powerfully, and eloquently. Now the beloved host of NPR's All Things Considered and bestselling author of Piano Lessons takes us on a river journey through the heart of Appalachia -- a journey shared by pioneers and preachers, white-water daredevils, bluegrass musicians, and an unforgettable cast of vivid historical characters.

Noah Adams has Appalachia in his blood. A native of eastern Kentucky, he comes to the headwaters of the New River not just in search of adventure but to better understand his own unique heritage. Following the New River from its mile-high source on North Carolina's Snake Mountain to its West Virginia mouth, Adams travels by Jeep and by bicycle, by foot and, most thrillingly, by white-water raft to explore the history, natural beauty, and fascinating characters waiting around every bend and turn.

Distilling history from legend, Adams tells of men and women whose lives crossed the New River before him: Daniel Boone, fleeing his farming family in search of wilderness; Cherokee Indians driven west on their Trail of Tears; and the ill-fated men who traveled thousands of miles to work on the Hawk's Nest Tunnel, making a fortune for a company while their lungs filled with deadly silica dust. And along the way Adams follows the echoes of his own distant heritage, interweaving his river journey through Appalachia with yet another voyage, thousands of miles away.

With eloquence and compassion, Noah Adams paints a luminous portrait of a land and a people as richly vital and complex as America itself. At the same time, his quietly personal chronicle captures the sheer magic of the flowing waters: their sound, their eddies, their utter unpredictability. A vibrant and unforgettable read, Far Appalachia mesmerizes and haunts like the bluegrass music that still rings through the mountains and valleys in which it was born.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Noah Adams, the amiable host of NPR's All Things Considered, is no stranger to the world beyond the Beltway; a native of Kentucky, he's logged plenty of time in wild country, and the travels he recounts in his latest book take him through some of the most rugged in the eastern United States.

Adams travels along the New River, which rises in the mountains of North Carolina, flows generally north into Virginia and West Virginia, and eventually merges with the Ohio and Mississippi. Along the way--traveling by car, bicycle, and canoe--he explains the workings of rapids, his ancestral connection to Appalachia as well as its the history, and even the origins of the term hillbilly. As he wanders, Adams points out local oddities (such as a school bus that incongruously rests on a huge boulder in the middle of a stretch of the New River) and takes in bluegrass festivals, family picnics and the occasional family feud, and little towns and large vistas, by all appearances having a grand time along the way.

"This is just a book about a river. There was no quest involved, only a wish to understand more about this part of the country and my family's past." So writes Adams, with characteristic understatement. It may lack grand purpose, but his book is a pleasure for anyone who knows the country of which he writes, and anyone who enjoys a backroad adventure. --Gregory McNamee

From Publishers Weekly

In his last book (Piano Lessons), Adams described the year he decided, at age 51, to learn to play the piano. The host of NPR's All Things Considered now takes readers on another year-long journey, this time through Appalachia by canoe, bicycle and white-water raft. A native of eastern Kentucky, Adams takes a personal interest in Appalachia: "a wish to learn more about this part of the country and my family's past." Gently and thoughtfully, he does just that, covering everything from the ecosystems of the New River whole universes under the eddying water to the ghosts of the pioneers and Native Americans who roamed the riverbanks. (Curiously, despite a passing reference to a Confederate flag, Adams never mentions the Civil War or even African-Americans.) Through the people he meets along his journey including bluegrass fiddlers and fishermen, storytellers all Adams also tells a story of present-day Appalachia, a complex view that challenges Deliverance stereotypes. But challenging the reader isn't Adams's purpose; instead, in easygoing and understated prose, he takes readers up the river with him into the darkness of coal mines, down Class VI rapids and into local pubs, inns and churches. He skims lightly over the depths and navigates the rapids with humor and a sharp eye for telling detail. Indeed, some of the best passages of the book are Adams's simple descriptions of the water: "The boat rocked, then steadied, and the current caught the bow and turned it downstream. Then a touch of the paddle to add some speed. This is the moment of grace." Whether white-water rafters or just along for the ride, readers will find Adams's story of a year following the New River full of this same quiet, and often unexpected, grace.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Delacorte Press (April 10, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385320108
• ISBN-13: 978-0385320108
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,554,474 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A worthwhile trip down a wonderful river..., May 29, 2001

By 

Jennifer A. Pinard "Jennifer Pinard" (Wolfeboro, NH) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Far Appalachia: Following the New River North (Hardcover)

Noah Adams follows the New River from its headwaters in North Carolina to its end in West Virginia. This is not a textbook of the river's history, geography or geological formation. Instead, it is a conversational documentary. The pace of the river seems to set the pace of the book. Some chapters sit still for a minute and gaze in detail at a plant or a fish. Some chapters offer glimpses of the residents and communities along the New River. Some chapters fly by with the the excitment and adrenalin rush of the whitewater rapids. Some chapters ponder the past, some ponder the future. It's a trip worth taking through Noah Adam's eyes, thoughts, and words.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A quick trip down a fast river, April 15, 2001

By 

Blaine Lilly (Columbus, Ohio) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Far Appalachia: Following the New River North (Hardcover)

As you read this book, you can hear Adams talking: slowly and carefully, stopping here and there to dwell on a minor detail that focuses on the essence of a place. This is a good place to start if all you know about Appalachia and its people is what you learned from seeing "Deliverance", but it's also fine reading if you're from the hills or have spent some time on the New River. As a native son of the Mountain State, whose ancestors settled on the Bluestone River in 1790, I was amused to discover that some folks still regard West Virginia as a scary place populated by violent, barefoot hillbillies (only the guides on the river are barefoot here).

One small quibble: Adams doesn't devote any time at all to the geological history of the river itself. Given that it's generally regarded as the oldest river in North America, I thought this was surprising. My only complaint is that, just like a rafting trip down the New in Spring, it's over way too soon.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A powerful, meandering journey told by a master, April 24, 2001

By 

R. Klau (San Ramon, CA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Far Appalachia: Following the New River North (Hardcover)

Noah Adams is a great story-teller - this much we know from his sure, relaxed style on NPR. That he has a knack for detail and a love of the outdoors is a welcome surprise. The result is a thoroughly engaging book about a part of the country that many don't know.

The book borrows its pace from the river itself. In several passages, there appears to be no point: just a casual observation of a minor detail, told in many pages. Whether it's the point where he considers leaping a fence because the trail may or may not be closed, or it's the rich detail of the rapids ahead on the river, you feel as if you're on the journey with Adams every step of the way.

The strength of the book is that Adams tells it on his own terms: this book is an exploration of a part of *his* history. His people are from here, and he wants to learn more about the region that produced his ancestors. At one point he even traces his roots beyond Appalachia, back to England where his ancestors originated. These diversions, much like the tributaries of the New River, simply fill out the story and make your experience all the more complete.

A final note - I listened to this book, rather than read it. Since Noah Adams does the narration, it adds just a bit more to the overall experience. Because you already know his voice, you feel as if you're listening to an old friend tell you stories by the campfire. One can't help but hear the love of the river, and the outdoors in general, as Adams recounts his story. It's a wonderful experience.