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Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Novelist (The Truest Pleasure), poet and short story writer Morgan displays an impressive command of American history and of language in this collection of new and selected stories. Arranged chronologically, from the 16th century to the present, each tale embraces a strong, authentic voice; Morgan's narrative range is remarkable. The entire collection is set in Morgan's native regionAthe mountains of North CarolinaAand the stories mainly focus on the poor or otherwise disenfranchised. A poverty-stricken white family takes in and grows to love the sick child of escaped slaves in "Little Willie," only to watch him die in an accident. Willie's foster mother, Celia, is devastated: "...it kept coming to my mind human life didn't mean a thing." The characters are often the victims of tragedy, but they are never maudlin, and they find joy in unexpected places. In "The Bullnoser," the unnamed, unemployed narrator stumbles into a career in blackmail when he discovers that a local landowner is illegally dumping toxic chemicals. "The cold beer tasted both like hope and confidence," he thinks to himself. Some of Morgan's most effective characters are war veterans. A young man returning from WWII in "The Welcome" finds himself alienated from his family and friends; in "Tailgunner," an older man looks back on his experiences in a German prison camp, but no one is interested in his reminiscences. "The Ratchet" is a nail-biter: two brothers driving a log truck on the downslope of a heavily trafficked mountain road realize they have no brakes. All of Morgan's characters are careening somewhere; reading their stories, you wish them the best, but anticipate the worst. (Oct.)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Review
"This beautifully crafted collection ... a procession of tales rich with narrative detail and character, told in language as plain and deep as the hills, the whole weighted with an awareness of death that looms over the the struggle for a meaningful life" -- New York Times Book Review
Morgan's writing is remarkably consistent, focused on the fine line between desire and need. -- The New York Times Book Review, David L. Ulin
See all Editorial Reviews
Novelist (The Truest Pleasure), poet and short story writer Morgan displays an impressive command of American history and of language in this collection of new and selected stories. Arranged chronologically, from the 16th century to the present, each tale embraces a strong, authentic voice; Morgan's narrative range is remarkable. The entire collection is set in Morgan's native regionAthe mountains of North CarolinaAand the stories mainly focus on the poor or otherwise disenfranchised. A poverty-stricken white family takes in and grows to love the sick child of escaped slaves in "Little Willie," only to watch him die in an accident. Willie's foster mother, Celia, is devastated: "...it kept coming to my mind human life didn't mean a thing." The characters are often the victims of tragedy, but they are never maudlin, and they find joy in unexpected places. In "The Bullnoser," the unnamed, unemployed narrator stumbles into a career in blackmail when he discovers that a local landowner is illegally dumping toxic chemicals. "The cold beer tasted both like hope and confidence," he thinks to himself. Some of Morgan's most effective characters are war veterans. A young man returning from WWII in "The Welcome" finds himself alienated from his family and friends; in "Tailgunner," an older man looks back on his experiences in a German prison camp, but no one is interested in his reminiscences. "The Ratchet" is a nail-biter: two brothers driving a log truck on the downslope of a heavily trafficked mountain road realize they have no brakes. All of Morgan's characters are careening somewhere; reading their stories, you wish them the best, but anticipate the worst. (Oct.)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Review
"This beautifully crafted collection ... a procession of tales rich with narrative detail and character, told in language as plain and deep as the hills, the whole weighted with an awareness of death that looms over the the struggle for a meaningful life" -- New York Times Book Review
Morgan's writing is remarkably consistent, focused on the fine line between desire and need. -- The New York Times Book Review, David L. Ulin
See all Editorial Reviews
Product Details
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Inside This Book
(learn more)
First Sentence:
THE YEAR THE HAIR-FACES came to our village we heard about them long before they reached our valley. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
mossy bell, shining rocks, laughing water, pasture hill, dinner bucket, shot bag, shining stones, laurel bushes Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Chief de Soto, Blood Soil Field, North Carolina, Old Salem, Chestnut Springs, South Carolina, Blue Stone, Old Joyner, Shooting Arrow Branch, Dark Corner, North Fork, Saluda Gap, Ella Mae, Fourth of July, Officer Stallworthy, Sleepy Gap, Balm of Gilead, Deacon Green, Poplar Springs, Uncle Dave, Aye God, Dana Road, Senator Pineset, Valley of Virginia, Zander Gosnell New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
THE YEAR THE HAIR-FACES came to our village we heard about them long before they reached our valley. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
mossy bell, shining rocks, laughing water, pasture hill, dinner bucket, shot bag, shining stones, laurel bushes Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Chief de Soto, Blood Soil Field, North Carolina, Old Salem, Chestnut Springs, South Carolina, Blue Stone, Old Joyner, Shooting Arrow Branch, Dark Corner, North Fork, Saluda Gap, Ella Mae, Fourth of July, Officer Stallworthy, Sleepy Gap, Balm of Gilead, Deacon Green, Poplar Springs, Uncle Dave, Aye God, Dana Road, Senator Pineset, Valley of Virginia, Zander Gosnell New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Citations (learn more)
This book cites 14
books:
See all 14 books this book cites
4
books
cite this book:
- North Carolina (Celebrate the States) by David Shirley on page 146
- Green River: New and Selected Poems (Wesleyan Poetry) by Robert Morgan in Front Matter
- Good Measure: Essays, Interviews, and Notes on Poetry by Robert Morgan in Front Matter
- Gap Creek: A Novel by Robert Morgan in Front Matter
- Don Quixote by Carroll B. Johnson on page 190
See all 14 books this book cites
- New Stories from the South 1996: The Year's Best by Shannon Ravenel on page 168
- This Rock: A Novel by Robert Morgan in Front Matter
- Brave Enemies: A Novel of the American Revolution (Shannon Ravenel Books) by Robert Morgan in Front Matter
- This Rock by Robert Morgan in Front Matter
What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?
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65% buy the item featured on this page: The Balm of Gilead Tree: New & Selected Stories $17.95 |
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15% buy This Rock: A Novel $13.30 |
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12% buy The Mountains Won't Remember Us: and Other Stories $17.95 |
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8% buy The Truest Pleasure $11.86 |
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