West Virginia Books

The Coalwood Way is by far the best book I have read this year. The story and the writing style grab you back to the couch to read another chapter every time. The only bad part is that the story was not longer, but that's why this is a trilogy. I am now rushing to order Hickman's next novel in the series!

Another excellent book by Homer Hickam, If you don't read the trilogy you're missing a true West Virginia experience

I'm not sure where the below reviewers are coming from. The Coalwood Way, although including the Rocket Boys, is very much different from the first memoir. And it is not a bunch of disconnected stories, not at all! The Coalwood Way opens with Sonny Hickam in a strange depression a year after the death of his grandfather who had lost his legs in the coal mine. It is a depression he struggles with throughout the book and is the core thread. How he determines what is causing that depression really fills out a part of the original memoir that was left out and provides us with insight as to how he ultimately succeeds. Hickam reveals how that last winter in Coalwood so much is happening to him and his friends. His rockets are starting to work, but nothing else does. He even lets Chipper, his mom's beloved squirrel, escape into the winter cold and snow. He also meets Dreama, a young woman also struggling, and wanting Sonny to be her friend. Dreama is considered something like white trash, and is living with one of the most detestable men in town. Sonny also falls for Ginger who dreams of being a professional singer and provides an interesting counterpoint to the coal miners' sons of Coalwood with their dreams of spaceflight. "Dad," or Homer, Sr. is also struggling, trying to open a part of the mine that has defeated previous mine superintendents but upon which the future of Coalwood depends. "Mom," or Elsie, struggles with her failure to win the annual Veteran's Day parade (Coalwood's float has always won before), as well as her continuing attempts to get Homer, Sr. to quit the mine before black lung kills him. Elsie also identifies very much with Dreama and wants to help her but is held back by the "Coalwood way". The story is told with Hickam's tradmark humor and there are as many laugh out loud moments as tears. The dramatic arc of these threads to the story all join in a night of murder and mayhem when Coalwood is also buried in a huge snowstorm and cut off from the rest of the world. This is followed by another night of hope and amazing redemption on Christmas Eve that will cause even the hardest heart to melt. In many ways, this is Hickam's Coalwood Christmas story and it's a great one. You will love it.

Dr. Werner von Braun once said, "Matters of faith are not really accessible to our rational thinking. I find it best not to ask any questions, but to just believe..." These words are truly conveyed throughout the second of Homer Hickam Jr.'s memoirs, The Coalwood Way, originally published in 2000. Although following his acclaimed, Rocket Boys, this compelling story does not continue where the last left off. Portions of the memoir take place during the same time period as the last, however, this tome portrays the life of Homer "Sonny" Hickam in a different light. This particular memoir focuses on Sonny's senior year in high school and the hardships he must go through when growing up. In addition to working diligently on creating improved rockets, Sonny must focus on achieving A's in school. Most importantly, he must focus on his family. In 1959 Coalwood, West Virginia is a ticking bomb and as it becomes more and more difficult to keep the mines running, the bomb seems to always be the verge of exploding leaving the people out of jobs, homes and, even worse, their town. Sonny must now try to keep his family together while the town falls apart and yet keep alive the dream of leaving in order to join his role model, Dr. Werner von Braun, at Cape Canaveral.
Sonny Hickam is on his way to fulfilling his dreams as the book begins. However there a few obstacles on the way. Troubles in his family prevent Sonny from leading an easy, carefree life. His mother, Elsie, is growing increasingly impatient with Sonny's father. Sonny's father, Homer, is the mine superintendent and with the opening of a dangerous new mine, 11 East; ultimately, he is home even less often than usual. The strain on the marriage becomes too much for Sonny's mother and she insists on leaving Coalwood to escape to Myrtle Beach in order to sell real estate. In addition to his domestic hardships, Sonny is having troubles with himself. Every so often, although only lasting a few minutes, Sonny will find himself engulfed in an unexplainable grief. This mystery baffles Sonny day after day. As he searches for the origin of this mystery grief, he learns more than he ever imagined. Sonny's emotions and adventures are vividly depicted through a truly sentimental story, splashed with humor in all the right places. The writing style of Homer Hickam in this memoir is once again captivating and absolutely unforgettable.
Although one may think memoirs aren't written well due to the lack of an experienced writer, The Coalwood Way reads like an old time fable. It is written in such a way that you are taken from your own world and thrown into the small town in West Virginia. Hickam depicts Coalwood in such a way that the image of every part of the quaint town is etched into your mind. His method of writing will bring you to tears when tragedy strikes and laughter when Sonny finds himself in a humorous predicament.
This memoir is all about finding yourself and realizing that whenever life trips you up, someone will always be there to catch you when you fall. Throughout this lucid story, Sonny tries to find himself, and while looking down on his beloved town, he finally realizes the answer to what he's being puzzling all along. He understands his feelings, thinking: "My parents, and all the people of Coalwood, had given me the only true gifts they could ever give, that of their wisdom, and of their dreams, and of their love. All fear, sadness, and anger inside me had vanished. I knew who I was and where I came from and who my people were. I was ready to leave because I could never leave." Once Sonny realizes he can let go of the past, he is able to finally leave his hometown with the closure he needs to succeed.

"The Coalwood Way" is the part 2 contiuation of the "Rocket Boys", AKA:"October Sky". I just really like the way Mr. Hickam tells his story in his books. I find them to be "Americana" like- a success story from a humble start. I think the series could be a must read for middle and high school students as a way to see their potential in their own future and not just the here and now. A great book (and series) to read!

Fathers Troubles is a wonderful read and Carter Taylor Seaton knows how to tell a story. Her main character, Lawrence Burgher, manages in his short life to acquire and lose a fortune in the boom and bust years of the 1920's and 30's. Much of the story takes place in the coalfields of southern West Virginia that she describes well and in fine detail.
But Lawrence Burgher's troubles affect his wife, children and their families well into the century. The tale Carter Seaton tells is how those generations deal with or fail to deal with his legacy.
The author says, "Fathers Troubles is neither classical memoir nor pure fiction". This reader finds Father's Troubles to be a story of a time, place and people the author knows well.
Ren Parziale

I found the story engrossing from the beginning because of the way Carter focused on details of how life was lived in 1891 all the way through the 1930's. I was able to imagine daily life and get a better grasp on how Mr. Burgher's decisions might have affected his family. It is a sad tale for the Burghers, but found Maggie's reconciliation and self-realization regarding her mother touching and perhaps the most important lesson of the novel.
Since Carter is a family friend I was very excited to read her book. That it took place mostly in Huntington, WV was a bonus as it is my hometown, and I have a lot of fond memories from there.

I picked this book up at Tamarack on the West Virginia Turnpike in the WV books and music section. I was totally mesmerized from the opening page.If this is an example of her first novel, sign me up for an advance copy of number two!! This is a must read!! Frances Case

What a wonderful and easy read for the summer or any time. Carter brings you carefully into her story and keeps you there with intrigue and passion for her story.
Being from Huntington, WV and knowing several members of the family but not the story, the descriptions brought the story up close and personal for me. How excited I was to figure out Eileen was my mother's good friend.
Hope there is another book in Carter's horizon.

This book is a must read for everyone. It combines all the elements of a wonderful story with historical and local information that is facinating.

The story combines the past showing how an intelligent man, Lawrence Burgher, driven by the love he had for his wife and children and the ambition to "be somebody" can end up making choices that are clouded by that ambition. Even though he had no intentions of embezzlement, he was caught up in a web of lies that he just could not untangle. The present aspect of the book shows how Maggie's mother let the tragedies of her youth dictate how she lived her life and how she treated others.

There are many lessons to be learned from this book and Carter Seaton has woven all the lessons into a remarkable and enjoyable read.

The book rambles on. I suppose it's good reading at times, but as far as being well researched (as so many gush about here), it isn't well researched at all. There was no "hurricane party" at the Richelieu Apartments on the night of Camille's landfall. That is a complete myth, but one that will not die--the national media is apparently not interested in the facts; ditto for this author. Mary Ann Gerlach (who, btw, was convicted of killing her 11th!!! husband in 1979, but paroled in the early '90s) was not the only survivor of those 23 who stayed on at the Richelieu that night. Two other Richelieu survivors--Ben Duckworth and Mike Gannon--have tried to set the record straight for years, but the myth stays alive, and people eat it up like catfish. The fact is that only eight of the Richelieu 23 died. Gannon and Duckworth (and a few more) were staying in the apartment of an elderly couple, Zoe and Jack Matthews, to help take care of them during the storm. Mrs Matthews had recently had hip surgery. Another couple, Rick and Luane Keller, were also in the group. Luane perished, but Rick survived. Gerlach's husband Fritz (husband #6), also perished.

I remember some of the media coverage about Camille but Bechtel takes the reader inside the storm for a thrilling, if harrowing, ride. I confess I was ignorant of the damage in Virginia and I certainly did not put Woodstock and Camille together before reading this book. For disaster junkies like me, this is a MUST for your top shelf. For anyone interested in those reacting to a disaster, this book introduces you to some unforgettable people. And, for anyone living on the Gulf Coast, it should be required reading. Every week.

review posted in the American Geographical Society newsletter, "Ubique":

The past as prologue: The story of Hurricane Camille, which until recently defined the apex of tropical energy and fearsomeness, as told by Stefan Bechtel in ROAR OF THE HEAVENS.
During the summer of 1969, nature opened her Pandora's box and released Camille. She perhaps took her first steps as a tropical wave of energy out of the Ethiopian Highlands, made a lazy parabolic arc through the southern Atlantic, then hit the cauldron of warm sea air in the Caribbean.
Bechtel follows nimbly on her heels and issues moment-by-moment reports. He provides a skilful, basic understanding of hurricane science -- readers walk away with a firm grasp of orographic effects, the nature of the tropopause and the fluid mechanics of storm surges -- as well as a "disaster culture" that spurs people to take the storm head on, a culture of cataclysmic ignorance.
What drives that point home is the vivid reconstruction of what it was like to be in the storm, fashioned out of interviews with a few principle actors and dozens of bit players. The storm made landfall to the east of New Orleans with winds that at times approached 200 mph and carrying a storm surge three stories in height. Survivors talk of darkness and howling, being raked by flying glass, having their clothes stripped off. Entire communities were obliterated, while farther to the north, the Woodstock Music Festival was being pelted by rain from all the atmospheric disturbance.
Bechtel relates how then the storm started to disintegrate as it moved up the Mississippi Valley, falling off the radar, only to gather itself once more, dropping biblical rains -- perhaps thirty inches in a nightlong deluge -- on a confined area in Virginia's Blue Ridge Mountains. Once again, Bechtel's storytelling power takes on a terrifying clarity. Scores would die as towns were scoured clean away, the rain so heavy it was nearly impossible to simply breathe. A mountainside sloughed off, writes Bechtel, leaving the eerie "smell of deep time."
Camille was a meterological event of the first order. So is Bechtel's recreation.

Hurricane Camille was a beast of mythic proportions and she is still one of those extraordinary events that are engrained in the memory of all Southerners who are old enough to remember her rampage. In this book Stefan Bechtel has given us a riveting account of that once in a thousand years storm and he has done so with the voice of a great storyteller so that instead of a dry historical account of the facts he has delivered a vehicle that transports his readers into the heart of the storm where they feel as if they are right there witnessing those tragic events for themselves.

The famous or infamous hurricane party at the Richelieu apartments seems to have caused some controversy among those who have reviewed this book before me and while Bechtel does very little to dispel the myth he doesn't do anything to perpetuate it either. He does mention that Mary Ann Gerlach had planned a party but he also tells us that she took a nap and only woke up once it was almost to late to escape. The Richelieu apartments actually play only a minor part in this narrative and having read other books about this tragedy it was very refreshing to find a book that paid less attention to that one apartment building and more to the many other stories of survival and tragedy that occurred along the Gulf Coast. For a very full treatment of what was happening at the Richelieu apartments I would recommend Ernest Zebrowski and Judith Howard's "Category 5."

Many of the interviews that this author conducted were with people who's story has been told before but he also did interviews with and told the stories of many people who's story I had never come across before. Even when the stories were stories that I had heard before Bechtel told them in such a fascinating way that I still found them to be extremely gripping and moving. This author manages to convey the tragic loss that so many families suffered on both the coast and in Virginia in such a moving way that I would recommend that you keep a hanky handy just in case.

Camille and hurricanes in general have always fascinated me and this is one of the best books that I have come across on the subject. Bechtel tells his story with the deftness and skill of a David McCullough and although he did leave a strand or two up in the air he has given us a masterful narrative that not only entertains and informs but also manages to explain the meteorological events that caused the tragedy in Nelson County Virginia in a way that even I could understand.

I was on my way to a Poetry Festival on a Friday, and
I started reading Roar of the Heavens Thursday night.
Instead of getting rested for the Festival, I was up
until 1:30 am, When I arrived, and pitched my tent, and
got to the Festival grounds, I immediately sat down and
started reading the book. Instead of strolling the village,
breaking into a discussion on Craft with a Poet, I sat
down and kept reading. Friday night was freezing cold,
and I kept reading. In the cold, I kept thinking about
the fascinating dynamics of the structure of a Hurricane,
and Warren Raines freezing as he clung to tree branches.
On Saturday, during a readings break, I climbed into my
car, and finished the book. Finally, I could stop thinking
about what happened to Mary Anne, Buzz, etc, and etc, and
starting absorbing some POETRY. Saturday night it was
raining, and I was terrified driving to the campground,
and hearing the rain on the roof of my tent, and it was
pouring Sunday morning, and I wondered if having been
isolated from Weather forecasts, something was coming of
which I was unaware. And thought of the unidentified bodies
perhaps hiking the trails as Camille roared through.
What a riveting read, and the adrenaline is still pumping!
The scientific explanation of the mechanics of a Hurricane
were so clearly described, and fascinating. And the interweaving
of what was happening in the country and world, with
the life and death dramas of those trying to survive
Camille really put things in time and place that connects
the reader intimately to the events. And the families and people
were so real; their pain and suffering, and the incredible
devastation. I know I was thinking about going to college
that summer, at that's all I remember. I remember going
to Mardi Gras in 1972 and seeing the steps going to no where
on the Coast, Biloxi. And I used to drive Rt. 29 going to
Conn. from N.C. in the seventies. Congratulations on writing
such an intense and absorbing, and well researched book.

Fantastic artistry to go with one of the classic songs, especially for those of us in West Virginia. Can't help but sing as you read. Great fun for the whole family.

I am from West Virginia so Country Roads has always been dear to my heart, especially being a WVU grad where it is blasting all over town on football Saturdays! I bought this for my nephew and I'm sure he will love all of the illustrations as much as I do. Lots to look at on each page and I love how the illustrations are done as if it has been quilted.

My son received this book as a gift for his first birthday. He loves it (and he has no clue who John Denver is)! We've read/sang it a hundred + times. He loves looking at the illustrations, as do I. My husband & I graduated from WVU, so this song is near & dear to our hearts. We hope to make a little Mountaineer out of our son too....this is a good start.

A great song with amazing illustrations. All the pictures look like quilt pieces. This song is timeless and kids love it. I've got kindergarteners who can belt this out and they never get tired of reading/singing it over and over. Very well done. Can't wait for more John Denver songs to come out.

John Denver's music paints a beautiful picture in your mind, but this book brings it to life even more! Book is very animated---almost seems like the pictures move as the vehicles go up and down the rolling hill. Great quilted-look art that covers almost every space in this book. LOTS of things going on (you could look at this book all day long and still find something new the next day) Well worth the money!!! Get is for all your John Denver fans :)

This is a thorough book and one that I refer to often. It helps to identify many of those pieces you find in your grandmother's china cabinet. There is a lot of information about the various designs, colors and years of production. It's one of the handbooks that I constantly look to for information.

I got this gift for someone else, and they LOVE IT. All the information they were seeking was there, plus it helped price and identify the Fenton items they had.

The pictures in the book are beautiful, you can see every detail.

im a newer collector so i needed some reference guides.this book has tons of pictures, pricing and information from cover to cover..id recommend it to any fenton collector new or old

Book is very helpful in identifying pieces. New Fenton lovers should buy this!

The lack of an index makes this book difficult to use efficiently. The only guide is the table of contents which divides the book by pattern, then color. If you want to look up a particular piece and you don't know the name of the pattern, you will have to look through the entire book to figure it out and hope the piece you have happens to be in this book. Likewise if you don't know the color name of the piece. With Fenton, what you think is pink might actually be called peach. Is what you have light blue, aqua or turquoise? You won't be able to figure it out unless you look at every possibility. If you happen to collect Fenton "Amberina" don't buy this book, there isn't any reference at all to that color.
I find the layout too busy and hard to look out. The black type on green background for the price guide adds to the busy look.
Yes, there are a lot of photos and info but in my opinion, the book really needs to be more well organized for me to call it a good book.

I bought this book the first day it came out and enjoyed it tremendously. There's even the speech Homer Hickam made at the memorial to the Sago miners in the back of the book. I got to meet him at a book signing and he is a gracious man. There were a lot of people at the book signing who enjoyed Mr. Hickam's writing as much as me. He is without a doubt West Virginia's favorite author.

Most of the mining descriptions are accurate. The rescue I have some questions with, however, it is very intertaining.

I have sat and digested this book the best that I can. First off it is not by any stretch my favorite Hickam book I like all the Thurlow and Coalwood books better, with that being said though this book was still a very interesting read. I did not particualrly like either main character maybe thats my own fault just didn't like the personality of either Song or Cable. This book starts off with almost strictly a love story through roughly the first 10 chapters then it gets interesting. This is when Hickam saves this book, the suspense makes you want to finish the book in one sitting. I reccomend this book for anybody but Hickam fans should not open this book expecting another Coalwood book it is much different in both good ways and bad ways.

For those who enjoyed Homer Hickam's previous "tales" of life in Coalwood, West Virginia, you will not be disappointed in this latest work. The conflict between two recently-marrieds, in concert with the drama in the coal mines, makes for a fast-moving story that is dificult to put down. The author's best work, I think, has always been when he's writing about his beloved mountains and people of West Virginia. And though I enjoy Hickam's Josh Thurlow series, I thoroughly get involved with what he really knows best--life in a coal mine community! And one needs to know nothing of coal mining to enjoy the story because Hickam does a masterful job of explaining what goes on "down there." Order this book and enjoy the ride with Song and Cable and all the other colorful characters as they find out many things about themselves and each other in an exciting conclusion to a wonderful story. If this is a first-time read of Homer Hickam, I would certainly recommend going back to Rocket Boys, The Coalwood Way, and Sky of Stone. Those are all non-fiction, but they serve as a good background for Red Helmet, making it all the more enjoyable.

Homer Hickam, in "Red Helmet", transports us to the small mining communities of West Virginia. With characters that make us love them, laugh with them, wipe away a tear or two, and become a part of their lives, struggles, and mysteries, "Red Helmet" is a great read. Curl up on your sofa with a hot cup of tea and a blanket and be carried away to West Virginia!

As a person who was not born and raised in West Virginia, Loughry's book was an eye-opener. It takes the reader beyond the flippant comments and sound bites that emerge every political season, to give one a baseline, if you will, of the sordid past of politics in the state. The political shenanigans occur on both sides of the aisle, and some of the strange bedfellows that emerged at various times are truly fascinating.

The book begins with the Kennedy campaign and how a largely Protestant state voted for Kennedy, a Catholic, and changed the balance between Kennedy and Hubert Humphrey in a primary season very different from what we see today. Loughry takes us into the inner workings of the political machines, lubricated by money from Joseph Kennedy (who is responsible, verbatim, for the title of the book).

From there the book shifts backwards to the development of political bosses of the distant past and then takes us through to some of the aspects of politics in play to this day.

I cannot verify Loughry's claim that everything he has gathered is verifiable through media excerpts, but I can say that it is a fascinating read that is a must for any armchair politician in the state, and a great read for anyone interested in how our the voting process works or does not work

After having this book recommended to me, I was a bit skeptical, figuring it too dry for my taste, but I was immediately drawn in and had trouble putting it down. Growing up in West Virginia I was startled at how deep the corruption in politics has been and its continuing nature. The book examines corruption itself in a very fair and even manner without attacking any particular group. After reading this, the need for election reform and accountability in public office is obvious. Not just for West Virginia but for the country. I found the book to be interesting, informative, entertaining at times, and very thought provoking. I would recommend it to anyone, whether or not they have an interest in politics. I can even see the value of the book as a required text for high school students because it provides a taste of history that is sometimes buried, along with a plan for the future.

Don't Buy Another Vote....is a wonderful, easy to read, eye-opening book. I think everyone including college students, West Virginians, people that follow politics very closely, and people that just vote should read. It is a very honest look at political corruption with a little humor along the way. Very well written! Go get a copy!!!!

I just finished "Don't Buy Another Vote, I Won't Pay For A Landslide" and find it to be one of the most amazing books I have ever read! I started reading and surprisingly, I couldn't put it down. Being a political junkie I thought I knew just about everything about politics, but this book breaks it down to a much more detailed level in a very comprehensive, yet readable way. The detail is mindboggling, but the conversational style of the author is refreshing.
In all of my years of reading political books and following politics, this is the first time I have ever read a book written in such a non partisan manner. I was skeptical at first because individuals often proclaim to be non partisan and write without bias, but that rarely is ever the case. The author is an equal opportunity offender, but it is clear that he doesn't pick on anybody. Instead, he tells the story of incredible corruption broken down at a state level. It includes amazing information about Mother Jones, the Hatfields and McCoys, the Coal Mine Wars, governors going to jail, a state attorney general hiring hit man to kill one of his deputies, another governor having his wife bribe a juror, a judge who bit the end off of a defendant's nose, and countless other stories. What makes this book different, however, is the that author provides a step-by-step way to fix the system that can be applied to all fifty states. This guy should run for Governor or U.S. Senator because we lack these types of visionaries in state and federal government these days.
This book should be read by everyone with any interest in politics, history, psychology, elections, etc.... I was overwhelmed and have told everyone I know. Every single high school student in America should be given a copy of this book as they graduate. This book changed my life! READ THIS BOOK!!!!

Dr. Allen Loughry's "Don't Buy Another Vote, I Won't Pay for a Landslide" is truly a breath of fresh air in a genre that sorely needed it. Most books written these days about the political arena and the corrupt nature attendant to it are riddled with shortcomings and philosophical pitfalls and, in the end, simply don't deliver. More often than not they serve to advance the agenda of their own writer, and the most painful part of the whole experience is how patently transparent that writer's intentions are. They provide little more than a laundry list of rants by an author perched high atop his/her soap box driven by a far greater concern for hijacking the pages of his/her own publication to simply rail against the establishment. The greater problem with this is how rarely they provide anything substantive in the way of suggested remedies for a very broken and morally bankrupt system that rules the day in American politics.

With "Don't Buy Another Vote" Loughry breaks that mold. His writing is not only to the complete contrary of such a dissatisfying style, but it downright hits home. This is the political narrative that we've all been waiting to read, and it was well worth the wait. Unlike may authors who complain about the proverbial weather without doing anything to change it, Loughry does plenty, or at least he inspires us to do so. Not only does he call nearly 150 years worth of corrupt West Virginia officials out on the carpet for their egregious misdeeds, but he also provides suggestions for the type of reform he feels is necessary to correct this longstanding crisis.

Loughry's "Contract With the Voter" is as innovative and well thought out as it is groundbreaking. Before the smoke settles, don't be surprised if this model for change might very well be adopted as the accepted norm for those seeking office not just in the Mountain State, but in any state. It's prolific in its simplicity and after reading it you'll find yourself saying..."Yes, why can't we implement something like THAT!?" From cover to cover Loughry's message resonates and his voice is true to the mark. A crisp writing style that goes a long way toward walking us through a murky history in which nothing sacred holds. A must read for all of us, irrespective of our own political affiliations. Loughry points out that corruption is not confined to party lines. Neither, for that matter, is the book now chronicling its long and ugly history in West Virginia.

Homer Hickam wrote a very enjoyable and informative book about his hometown of Coalwood, West Virginia, and the people who helped nurture him as a young boy. With his childhood stories, he took me on a journey through time to a place that many today would dismiss as "old-fashioned," and Hickam would argue was "the way things can and should be."

Inspired by the events of September 11, 2001, Hickam reflected on his youth and realized the values he grew up with in Coalwood were what many people needed to move on with their lives following the tragic terrorist attacks on America. Hickam expertly wove his thoughts and experiences into the four "Coalwood Attitudes of Strength and Courage" (We are proud of who we are, We stand up for what we believe, We keep our families together, and We trust in God but rely on ourselves), which led to the "Coalwood Assumption" that most Americans found themselves either wanting to say or saying repeatedly following 9/11: "We are not afraid."

In his introduction, Hickam explains the purpose of this book: "If you want to stop being afraid, or if you want to avoid the habits of fear and dread, this book can help by teaching you a philosophy of life that will fill your heart and soul with a sense of well-being and confidence. It is a philosophy that was developed by real people who led good, happy and hearty lives while managing to raise a crop of children who went on to have successful lives of their own."

Hickam is a master storyteller, and his stories contained many powerful moral and inspirational passages. Some I related to as personal memories, others as things I missed growing up or never thought about, and still others as a father wanting his young son to experience in his childhood.

This book has a lot to offer to many different people with many different needs in many different situations. I encourage everyone to read this book and let Hickam take you on a journey of discovery into your heart and soul.

We Are Not Afraid is a very inspiring book about strength and courage in perilous times. I think everyone who reads this will come away a stronger individual for it. If you have children, sons, daughters, nieces or nephews I think it is even more important to read this!!! The book was just such a "thinker". It is only 213 pages, it reads quickly but it lasts long after you close the cover.
While it is a collection of stories about growing up in a small coal-mining town in West Virginia it makes you stop and think hard about what really should be important in life, the values, the morals, the spirit, all the things that went into creating our great Nation. Mr. Hickam points out that yes times are perilous, but that there have been many perilous times and many hardships and challenges and being afraid is not a way to meet these. He pulls no punches when he discusses the United States of America. He dismisses those who want to focus on our failures as a Nation and fail to acknowledge our ability to correct our errors and move forward as a whole. This book is a life lesson on how not to live your life in fear, and how to overcome and surmount obstacles in your way. This is not accomplished by promising "pie-in-the-sky" but by learning from the examples of others ways to be strong and have courage and face life with your head up. This revolves around four important attitudes. #1 We are proud of who we are. #2 We stand up for what we believe. #3 We keep our families together. #4 We trust in God but rely on ourselves. These may sound simplistic to many people, but when they are broken down and explained you will know that it is possible to live a good purposeful life and not be diminished by fear and to pass this on to those around you.

I read this book. It changed my life for the better. Enough said. Hickam is very gifted. Who are his people? You'll be surprised.

I'm a strong person,an Idaho farm boy, but, I too, was weakened by the events of September 11. I needed salve for my soul, softening of my hardening heart,a mental map to see my way out of this mess. I found it in Homer Hickam's incredible new book, WE ARE NOT AFRAID. Homer writes with a wit and warmth that envelopes you like a comforter and touches the full range of your emotions. From your funny bone to the childhood memories you have tucked away in your mind's attic, WE ARE NOT AFRAID hits the brass notes and the softest keys. The world needs more Homer!...

The advice I found in this book has changed my life, too. Somebody told me I should read this when they caught be dragging around filled with worry. What can a little book do to change that I asked and they said well, just read it and see. The insights in this book have been just amazing. Homer teaches through stories that are fun to read but after you're done, you just sit back and go I really see that. I really, really do. Honestly, I've spent money on a lot of these selfhelp do better kind of books but the way Homer does it, I think I really got my money's worth this time.

The best book I have read in quite some time.
The Ballad of Trenchmouth Taggart is a gut wrenching roller coaster that will not disapoint! I am anxiously awaiting the future work of this young author destined for great things!

What a great book this is, one that will keep you up late and will keep you thinking about for many days after. I have never met a character like the West Virginian Trenchmouth Taggart. His first "religious experience" with a woman should win a literary award. It's raw, down and dirty and at the same time very clever and funny. It doesn't get any better in my opinion. Looking forward to the author's second book and to Trenchmouth - the movie.

This is fine storytelling in the manner of Berger's Little Big Man (which the book references). 108-year-old Trenchmouth Taggart, the oldest person in West Virginia, tells his tale to a reporter (Jack Crabb was 111 when he told his story to a reporter). The book narrates Taggart's life in the mountains of southwestern West Virginia, near the Tug River border with Kentucky. The author weaves in a lot of history of the region--particularly the coal mining (Taggart was never a miner), the labor troubles, the violent strikes, the shootings. Matewan features heavily in the book, as does Mingo County. This is the best part of the novel--it gives a fine flavor of the mountain men, the justice, the labor wars.

Taggart is a recluse for many years, on the run for murder, and often does not see another human for years on end. He emerges from seclusion, becomes part of a band, is recognized, and goes on the run again. But he never goes too far away for too long: this is always about the same corner of West Virginia. Taggart goes through many transitions--becoming a reporter for a paper, meeting Jack Kennedy. The novel is about Taggart, but the greater picture is the flavor of life of the area. It's a well-written portrait of a man, his time, and his corner of the world.

There were, however, aspects of the novel that I was not comfortable with. Taggart is a sharpshooter extraordinaire with rifle, pistol, and slingshot. He is a harmonica player extraordinaire, a newspaper reporter extraordinaire, has championship talents in other areas that are not fit for tender ears to hear. If you're a poverty-stricken mountain boy of West Virginia or Tennessee, etc, you need to be a sharpshooter and be frugal with bullets. You've got to bag a couple of squirrels for the family dinner. Alvin York from Tennessee exemplified this. So I am happy with Taggart's being a crack shot. But to also be a champion-class harmonica player, writer, and more doesn't really help the story. He is also, don't forget, the oldest West Virginian as well. Jack Crabb had spectacular longevity as well, and he learned to shoot well. But the shooting skills were never a focus of Little Big Man. In Little Big Man the emphasis was on the time, the place, and the people. Crabb was a vehicle to view these: there was no need to make Crabb champion-class at a variety of things (other than longevity). So if Taggart had been a fine sharpshooter like Alvin York, a decent harmonica player, a so-so writer, etc, it would not have hurt the novel at all. The movie Bull Durham achieved its greatness not by superstars winning the World Series but rather by its portrayal of everyday life in the minor leagues. So Taylor's novel is enjoyable, fine storytelling, but at times a bit over the top.

Ok...me read anything about history, I don't think so! Not my normal read, I'm more a fantasy/SciFi reader. But wow, I loved this book. I finished it in 2 days. It was engaging and very funny. Glen's insight into people is intelligent and real. This book is a lesson in what is right and wrong and how doing wrong is sometimes right. It is about learning from your mistakes, about second and third chances and about everyday hero's. It's about how one person can touch so many lives and not realize they can make a difference, good or bad. I loved it and yes this would make a great movie...I would be first in line to see it!!

This book drew me in like no book has in the last few months. When I was first told about it I thought, "A West Virginian mountain man? I don't think so." But this book has so many themes and is so well-written that I couldn't put it down. It is a very important and educational regional work and an entertaining read as well. I had the privilege of meeting Glenn Taylor and hearing him do a reading right after it came out. I look forward to more from him.

David L. Thompson's River of Memories: An Appalachian Boyhood is a walk back in time for Appalachians in general and West Virginians in particular.

Having grown up in an area just a few miles from David and only a few years later, I was filled with nostalgia, as I recalled the simpler times from some fifty years ago.

He showed us a scared little boy being wheeled off to surgery. I felt every bit of his trepidation, but had to laugh when I pictured his wide, fearful eyes on their way to the operating room.

I cried when he drew me into the deep respect for a mother who had always demonstrated the love and caring of the mothers of yesteryear. As we witnessed her family mourning her passing into the arms of God, I had to set the book down and weep.

For a feel-good read of a wholesome, stirring book, full of laughter and tears, I can think of no other I would recommend more highly than River of Memories: An Appalachian Boyhood.

I have just spent the day enjoying River of Memories An Appalachian Boyhood. It has taken me to a world I knew little of, growing up at the same time in West Virginia in very different circumstances.

What an engaginging and wonderful way to preserve the past!

This is a well written account of country life in West Virginia in the 40 and 50's.I could not put it down!
BeBe Beatty

I really enjoyed David Thompson's book River of Memories. I to grew up in WV and his words brought back visions from my own childhood. This is just a good read to escape from the everyday stress and hassles and return to a time when we valued family more than the materialisms we strive for today.

There once was actually a time and a place that the author David Thompson talks about; but I used to think that it was only in our collective dreams from the old movies of the 1950's. He captures a part of Americana that is forever lost and is no more. He takes us through his early life leading up to his tour in Vietnam much like a river flowing through our heart. It is a well written account of not just what it was like but how it felt to be a young boy of the "Baby Boom Generation" in West Virginia.

This book is not about war or its aftermath but about the human spirit and the values that make us and define who we are. This is a treasure of unique experiences and feelings. It is a pleasure and a joy to read.

MWSA's 2004 Gold Medal Award for Non-Fiction Personal Memoirs

The following are some of the comments I have received regarding River of Memories:

As I read well into Saturday night, I had the feeling you were actually writing about MY childhood. The winters, the one-room school, the stream, the grapevine swing (Snap! Thud! you lost your breath, and your body met the ground) and the challenges we faced but were so content, well fed, and happy we didn't realize how strong we would become because we learned that mountains were there to "go over, around or tunnel through." (Ginger Davis)

I bought a copy of your book at long last. I read it today. I really enjoyed it!!! You did a great job. Patrick was really talking up your book at our last meeting this spring. Mary Williams, one of our writing classmates, died last week. She, too, was looking forward to reading your book. (Brenda Beatty)

I wanted to share with you the inspiration I've had from the introduction of your book. I've many times mentioned that I should keep a journal for each of my girls with my view of things they do throughout their childhood. You statements in the introduction made me realize I should stop talking about it and do it before time slips away and they're no longer small children. (Che'rie Collins)

I have just completed your book, a gift from my daughter. It is a most enjoyable book, and you should take great pride in it. You capture our heritage and our humanness from crowning glory to warts. We live in a great corner of this world. Those of us, the senior generation, have been protected not by terrain but by culture, small enough to know and be known. (Jim Waugh)

While attending 'Festival of the Hills' in Ironton on Saturday, my wife and I visited your display and bought a copy of River of Memories. That next day, I took up temporary residence in our swing on our front porch and never ventured far from there until two thirds of your book had been read. It just wouldn't let me put it down! While my wife and I grew up in Waterloo, Lawrence County, Ohio, which is about as far north of Huntington as Bowen Creek is south, we both had a similar childhood as yours, but, you tell your stories much better. And, I'm sure others who have had the pleasure of reading your book can readily identify with it, too. Every little community had its unusual characters and an Emmitt and Lessie store. But, of all your stories, "Magnolias Forever" holds a special place for me. Your book is truly gratifying. Well done, David! (Duane Null)

Thank you for sharing your work with me and for using your talents to help preserve the culture and history of our state.
(Nick J. Rahall, II, Member of Congress)

Can't imagine any trip could be better than what you described in your book. Well done. "River of Memories" would make a great movie. You have shown how wonderful growing up in the '50s was for many. Laura wrote all her books (5 or 6) after she was 65 years old. Hope you keep writing. (Pat Phillips)

I finished your book last night. Please forgive me. I do not have your gift of expression in writing. I loved the book. What a wonderfully blessed life you have! Thank you so much. (Teresa Radcliff)

I absolutely loved this little book. I prefer this kind of personal reminiscing to works of fiction. I think what I loved most about it was the fact that your life in West Virginia, growing up was a bit similar to my own upbringing in Northwestern Nebraska. I also attended a one-room schoolhouse with an outhouse and a hand pump for water from 1st through 8th grade. Gee, it was fun! (Shelley Thorton-Roby)

Thank you for writing "River of Memories." I enjoyed, laughed (and cried a little). Many thanks for the memories. (Imogene Adkins Wilson)

I have read many books on Appalachian life, but yours was the best. I could actually see the house, smell the cooking, and hear you kids fighting and playing as I read the book. How lucky your family is to have all of this on paper to share for generations. (Debi Herbert)

I absolutely loved your book. You don't write...you paint a picture. (Jane Kolstad)

I finished your book last night. I read it in two sittings. It was the only book, other than the Bible I have read in years. I enjoyed it very much, and it touched on so many memories of my life. (Verlin J. Adkins, Jr.)