Mountain State Stories of the People: Celebrating West Virginia [Paperback]

Amy A. Stevenson (Author), Rae Jean V. Sielen (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 1997

West Virginia anthologies, collections of stories and memories gathered from West Virginians throughout the state and beyond. These fascinating collages of experiences and observations contain tributes to loved ones; reflections "on the way it used to be"; humorous anecdotes; extensive name, place, and topic indexes; and much more. Enjoy with your grandkids, read in one sitting or pick up now and then to read a few stories and bring a smile to your face...

Editorial Reviews

Review

A popular myth would have us believe that West Virginians are all one people, all with the same character and social mores. By arranging the chapters of this book into regions of the state ... the editors have let the reader see that these regions each have a unique character. The differences in these regions have produced a diversity of cultures in the state as reflected in the stories the residents tell. -- Avery Gaskins, West Virginia University Alumni Magazine, Fall 1997

Many of these fond memories occurred in conditions that today we would consider poverty. I am not talking about watching TV while waiting for a welfare check. These are stories of long days of hard work for young and old. . . . The wealth that comes from a life of love and effort is evident in every page. . . . The book is a wonderful asset for anyone interested in genealogy or local history. -- Jeff Holmes, West Virginia University Daily Athenaeum June 11, 1997

This is reading you definitely want to undertake on a rainy day. Immersed in history and tradition, the excerpts will take you away to a different time. It's recollections you'll want to reread several times, allowing you to picture in your mind the farm at the end of the "hollow" or the panic of the coal miner's wife when the siren blew. -- Judy Beavan, the Morgantown, West Virginia Dominion Post, June 22, 1997

From the Back Cover

West Virginians share a common history. We can locate the defining dates and events that have determined the course of our state in any number of textbooks or encyclopedias. We can find the names of influential, sometimes infamous, people who have shaped the image we as a state project to the world. For these figures, novels have been written, and their lives have been dissected and offered as public information. Those lives and that history is extremely important, but it is only a small portion of our collective history.

These pages are a tribute to another part of our history, and constitute a more informal look at events, changes, and everday, yet still extraordinary people. This book is about individual lives, and the simple pleasures and sometimes bittersweet memories of those lives. Parental advice. Childhood follies. Magical places. Hunters' tall tales. Loved ones lost. Family farms. Life in the hollow. New lives enriching those of the old, and vice versa. Appreciating yesterday. Watching the seasons change . . .

This book contains stories from all corners of the state and beyond, written by folks whose lives were touched by the subject they have chosen to write about. At the same time, the authors are leaving a little of themselves to posterity. Their stories share what is important to them and give insight into their perceptions. Accompanying many stories are photographs that bring the subjects to life-from great-great-grandmothers and one-room schoolhouse classes to pet bears and skunks. It is true that we can't all choose to be remembered as famous, but we can choose to be remembered, and to preserve the precious memories of events, places, and people that have affected our lives.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 202 pages
• Publisher: Populore Publishing Company; 1st edition (May 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0965269914
• ISBN-13: 978-0965269919
• Product Dimensions: 11.5 x 8.2 x 1.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,578,752 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The index helped me find my first grade teacher's picture, April 2, 2003

By 

Diane Oliva (Morgantown, WV USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mountain State Stories of the People: Celebrating West Virginia (Paperback)

Serveral years ago I wrote a story about my beloved and beautiful first grade teacher, Mrs. Parker. That experience was almost 50 years ago and my memory of her is fading. I was looking through the index of this wonderful book, "Mountain State Stories of the People" and saw her name. I flipped to that page and was delighted to see a picture of her taken in 1954, the same year I was her student! That picture helped me to recover more memories from that time period in my life. By reading the story "Generations" I learned about her family history and the history of my hometown, Fairmont, WV. I was inspired to continue to read all the 200 plus stories. This wonderful collection of stories is a West Virginia treasure!