Customer Reviews

Hell and Ohio: Stories of Southern Appalachia

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I wish more people would discover this talented author. Because his publisher had limited distribution power, this book got lost in the shuffle and it's just not fair. This is one of the best short story collections of recent years, full of powerful plots and prose so beautiful that it practically drips from the page. Holbrook does not bow to stereotype or hide the truth about Appalachia: he simply writes what he knows. A classic in the genre, as every bit as good as the better known work of fellow Kyian Chris Offutt. if you like quality short fiction, this is a terrific book.

This book is a masterful portrayal of the hill people of Eastern Kentucky. Holbrook's characters are real people who live in the hills and hollows of this region. This book has it all: hardworking and content people who are going to be forced from their home by the construction of a road; a young man who is forced to leave a home that was spoiled by the death of a brother; an alcoholic who is cast out into the world after his parents die and struggles with himself to correct his erring ways. These stories are all too common in real life and it's about time that someone put them on paper.

Chris Holbrook's story collection is full of grit and sardonic humor. His representation of modern Appalachia depicts a region where traditional and modern values conflict---a place where Hell and Ohio are as foreign as a month without its "first" holiday. HELL AND OHIO continues a rich tradition of Appalachian storytelling at its finest.