North Carolina Books

I loved these novellas. Each one could have been published as a "little" book (the size of HOW TO MAKE AN AMERICAN QUILT or ELLEN FOSTER) and most certainly "passed" for a novel.

"Winter" was a gripping tour-de-force of Anna Hand, the late author, on a madcap trip to Europe, trying to gather evidence on her evil sister-in-law. "Olivia DeHaviland Hand" introduces us to Olivia, the long lost daughter of Daniel Hand, and niece to Anna and Helen. I must say I loved "A Summer In Maine" because all of the characters talk, drink, make love, and stir up mischief.

I just hope Ellen Gilchrist writes as fast as she can. She's a poet, she's a philosopher, she's a genie, she's underrated!!! Some of her characters border on alcoholism, but they are so deftly drawn, they come across as flesh and blood; in lesser hands, these women would have come across as melodramatic vixens. Her work is loud and subtle, wild and innocent. I noticed on Amazon that she has another book coming out in 2000.

Anyone interested in avaition or parachuting must read this book.
It inspired me to become a serious skydiving competitor and ultimately become a Navy Frogman .... and later a Navy SEAL.
Hoo-Yah, Ty Zellers

In this work, David Grayson Allen examines how Puritan communities brought the economic and social structures of towns in Old England to towns in New England. Allen details how different English communities rebuilt themselves in America. Allen then briefly outlines what factors ultimately encouraged a degree of homogeneity among these distinctive New England towns.

For even more statistical and personal detail on the migration to New England, see Roger Thompson, Mobility and Migration: East Anglian Founders of New England, 1629-1640. See also David Hackett Fischer, Albion's Seed: Four British Folkways in America, which examines the transference of four different regional cultures of England to four different regions of America. Fischer studies Puritan Massachusetts as the seedbed of one such regional American culture. On the Puritans, consult any number of books on the subject by Edmund S. Morgan.

This poignant book by Sebastian Matthews is listed as a memoir of his father, but it could just as easily be found in the biography section. In recounting the life of a brilliant poet and, sometime less than wonderful father, Matthews turned his thoughts inward to give insight into the person he was and eventually struggles to become.

This book often reads like a novel, a story of falling and then climbing to reach solid emotional ground. Anyone who struggles from the baggage left by parents who achieved success professionally but lacked parenting skills, can benefit from the story honestly told here. In understanding divorce, alcoholism, sexual infidelity and intimacy issues, Matthew ends the book on a high note where his career is now on solid ground and his personal life fulfilling. A great non-fiction read, I hope this is a starting point for other books from him outside of his normal poetry venue.

Although the dialect rendering of Black English in these short stories may offend today's delicate politcal sensibilities, the reader should bear in mind that these stories were written in another century for a different audience. Get past that, and you have pure Plantation Tradition - the same tradition that inspired Margaret Mitchell and disgusted William Faulkner, James Branch Cabell, and Ellen Glasgow. The stories are simple, sincere and guaranteed to elicit emotion. Marse Chan is an American Classic, and No Haid Pawn has been likened to a tale of Poe. Get this, read it, and if you don't see life in Ante-bellum Virginia as it was, you can see it as Page thought it should have been.

The books I had ordered arrived with the shortest delay and in good condition. So I'm fully satisfied.
With very best wishes,
Thierry Backeljau

If you love the sea, you're going to love this little book of poetry. The author, born in England, remembers her childhood summers by the seaside at Herne Bay, then rediscovers her love while visiting North Carolina's Outer Banks. Combining free verse and sonnet form, the poetry is uncomplicated and simply beautiful. This would be a perfect gift for anyone who treasures wind, wave and nature's beauty!

This is a very detailed book on the Southern Coast of North Carolina. It has everything from restaurants, shopping,lodging and more. If you are planning a trip to the Southern Coast of North Carolina it is a must have. Great book at a great price!

I just about read this book from cover to cover in one sitting. It is so full of useful tactics and information for most of the sport fishing in the coastal Carolinas. The book is well organized by species allowing you to find the chapter for the fish you seek.

Tha only thing that I dislike about the book is that it is not water-proof so that I can safely pack it along on the boat!

I tried to find this guide in a local bookstore - a big one - and they were out (it's popular here) so I got it based on past experience with Insider Guides - all of which I have used and liked.

We were planning a trip to New Bern and it exactly fit the bill. It listed the attractions and did a good job of explaining them, some of which we would have missed if we did not have the book. For example, if you buy a ticket to the Tryon Palace, it includes admission to four other attractions, a fact we might have missed were it not for the guide. We also relied on it for restaurants, and ate at four that were listed, all were good. I chose the excellent place we stayed in New Bern, a Bed and Breakfast called "The Aerie", from Tripadvisor.com, and noticed that the guide also had given a good description of it. The history of New Bern given in the guide was also very interesting. Shopping? We discovered two places to visit - a quirky hardware store and a Farmer's Market we surely would have missed if not for the guide. In addition to shopping, they also covered "arts", "nightlife", "annual events", "recreation and parks" and all kinds of other outdoor sports and camping.

I have not used the guide yet for the other place we will be visiting soon, Pine Knoll Shores on what is called "Bouge Banks", but a quick look at this section told me it will be very helpful here as well.

For those who want an overview of what is covered in this guide, it includes the following: Beaufort, Morehead City, Swansboro, Bogue Banks (from Atlantic Beach to Emerald Isles), Oriental, New Bern, and the section of North Carolina called "Down East". The Central Coast is referred to as the "Crystal Coast" in NC tourism material. The Guide covers the same areas mentioned above for each of these places/areas, as well as vacation rentals and many things that may apple mostly to people who are moving to the area - neighborhoods, worship, education, retirement, healthcare, etc.

In sum, "Insider's Guides" is a good series and if you are really interested in an area, these are the guides to get.