Highland Hopes (Blue Ridge Legacy, Book 1) [Paperback]

Gary E. Parker (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 2001

Heartwarming Fiction From the Blue Ridge Mountains

“Blue Ridge folks keep their tales in their minds...folded up like a stack of quilts—just waiting for the time when they can pull them out and spread them open.”

Solomon Porter, a strong and stubborn mountain man, must come to terms with a devastating loss, one that has left his only daughter Abby to grow up feeling isolated and out of place. Their strained relationship contributes to Abby’s desire to escape the constricting mountains of her upbringing, learn all there is to know, and create for herself a new life of independence, of possibilities. Will such a life be all she expected? Will distance from home only serve to remind her of the chasm that exists between herself and her pa?

In this powerful first episode of the BLUE RIDGE LEGACY series, Abigail Faith Porter, an unpretentious 100-year-old matriarch, recounts the astounding events of her life, beginning with the tragic circumstances of her own birth. Out of Abby’s rich memory, the struggles and triumphs of “growing up in the hollers of the Blue Ridge Mountains” spring to life.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Historical Christian fiction aficionados will enjoy this first installment in Parker's Blue Ridge Legacy series introducing the Porter family, highlanders who eke out a hardscrabble existence in the coves and hollers of Blue Springs, N.C. in the early 1900s. Granny Abby opens the tale in a contemporary setting, spinning stories in mountain dialect to her great-granddaughter that detail the first third of her 100-plus years of living. Abby's difficult birth results in her mother's demise, and her father soon marries the comely Elsa Clack to comfort him and raise his young family. But a misplaced bet results in the loss of their homestead, and the new family unit begins to disintegrate. Abby dreams of an education and soon has the serendipitous means to accomplish her ambitions. Unhappily, leaving home leads to her downfall, as she becomes trapped in a troubled marriage with an affluent city slicker. Beautifully written passages describing the Blue Ridge Mountains will woo the reader, as will the charming dialect of the characters. The rushed pace of the last third of the novel is jarring, and some of the later characters are not fully developed. Parker's depictions of mountaineers fighting overseas are less satisfying than when he keeps the focus on Blue Springs. Bethany has a solid track record of hooking loyal Christian fans on its series, and teased by the promises in the epilogue, readers will likely go for the next installment.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Review

"...an insightful tale of people geographically bound by the mountains from which they seek a livelihood." -- Historical Novels Review, Dec. 2001

"Mr. Parker has an addictive style--his descriptions, his characters, and his plot are ingenious." -- Rendezvous, June 2001

"Readers who enjoy tales of Appalachia and early 20th century American history will eagerly follow the Porter family's hardscrabble lives." -- CBA Marketplace Nov. 2001

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Bethany House Publishers; Ex-Library edition (July 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764224522
• ISBN-13: 978-0764224522
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #408,782 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Evokes Powerful Emotions, December 5, 2001

By 

Christian Bookshelf "Christian Bookworm Reviews" (usa) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Highland Hopes (Blue Ridge Legacy, Book 1) (Paperback)

Highland Hopes, the first book of the Blue Ridge Legacy series, reads more like Catherine Marshall's classic, "Christy".

The prologue's modern setting makes it clear that you are about to hear the story of a life. That life begins as a mother's ends in childbirth. Parker's pages turn quickly from the deathbed to full-blooded life. There's fast-paced action as mountain moonshiners face off with government revenuers, gambling exacts a heavy toll on an already impoverished family, and World War II patriotism pulls young men from the Carolina hills to the blood soaked battlefields of Europe. The romantic soul will wrench as hearts are broken and lifelong unions are made. The author relates the story in the third person, but often changes the character through whose eye's he views the events occurring. Parker proves equally adept at voicing the innermost thoughts of both his male and female characters.

Highland Hopes takes you through Abigail Porter's childhood years, years that she learns to love her Blue Springs Mountain home, and years that she learns to love her father, even though she feels distinctly unrequited in her affection. She dreams of learning to read, that she might know all about the big wide world of Asheville and beyond. Her young desires grow into a yearning to leave the mountain and better herself, but there is always a tangible pull toward the hills of her birth. The first twenty-nine years of Abby's life take the reader quickly and poignantly from the new dawn of the 20th century in the ageless Blue Ridge Mountains to a definable turning point at the age of twenty-nine, when she finally feels her father's love.

The pages of this copy of Highland Hopes are indelibly marked with coffee and tear stains -- a sure reminder of long late night reads and the powerful emotions that this tale evoked. I, for one, am eagerly anticipating the second book in the Blue Ridge Legacy, where Granny Abby will unfold more of her beautiful Blue Ridge memories.

--- reviewed by Lori for Christian Bookshelf

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Highland Hopes - Blue Ridge Legacy #1, December 29, 2006

By 

J. Sabayrac (upstate New York) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Highland Hopes (Blue Ridge Legacy, Book 1) (Paperback)

A wonderful story - makes you feel as if you know the family. You hurt with them and triumph at their good fortunes. The story of family stuggles - some good and some bad, but staying a family throughtout all hardships. It's hard to put down, hard to finish that last page knowing you may not see their lives again. Reading makes you realize what is important in life....It's a wonderful book for everyone to read and enjoy.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Highland Hopes, November 25, 2001

By 

Pat DeTienne (Wichita, Ks United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Highland Hopes (Blue Ridge Legacy, Book 1) (Paperback)

I have enjoyed every novel I've read that Gary Parker has written. This was no exception. Great story line. Each character truly had his/her own personality and it was easy to feel like you were inside Abby's head sometimes. I highly recommend it.