-
The mountain is a lonely place. Welcome to Sourwood, a small Kentucky town inhabited by men and women unique and yet eerily familiar. Among its joyful and tragic citizens we meet the crafty, spirited Caleb and his curious younger brother; Pearl, a suspected witch, and her sheltered daughter, Thanie; superstitious Eli; and the doomed orphan Girty. In Sourwood, the mountain is both a keeper of secrets and an imposing, isolating presence, shaping the lives of all who live in its shadow. Strong in both the voice and sensibilities of Appalachia, the stories in Miss America Kissed Caleb are at turns heartbreaking and hilarious. In the title story, young Caleb turns over his hard-earned dime to the war effort when he receives a coaxing kiss from Miss America, who sweeps into Sourwood by train, "pretty as a night moth." Caleb and his brother share in the thrills and uncertainties of growing up, making an accidental visit to a brothel in "Fourth of July" and taming a "high society" pooch in "The Jimson Dog." These stories invoke a place and a time that have long passed―a way of living nearly extinct―yet the beauty of the language and the truth revealed in the characters' everyday lives continue to resonate with modern readers. By Billy C. Clark -
Miss Willie, first published in 1951, is part of Giles's Piney Ridge Trilogy. It tells the story of an earnest teacher who moves to the hills of Kentucky to teach in a one-room schoolhouse. Zealously, she tries to change the ways of the stubborn and proud Appalachian people, but to no avail. They listen to her ideas about sanitation and other foolishness because to argue would be rude. But in the end they quietly go about their accustomed ways. Ultimately, Miss Willie realizes that the hill customs have a beauty and dignity of their own and that some of her efforts to reform them were ill-conceived. Her warmth, generosity, and humor help her bridge the gap and find fulfillment in Piney Ridge. This is a story of reconciliation and the coming together of two different ways of life. Above all, it is a story of people and of the land to which they belong. SOFTBACK VERSION By Janice Holt Giles -
Following World War I, our nation entered a decade of national prosperity. Businesses flourished, and the standard of living rose. Jobs were plentiful and Americans were better fed, clothed, and housed than they had ever been before. However, the prosperity of the roaring twenties did not filter down to the rural poor of Appalachia. When Jack Ellis was born to Lon and Dot Ellis in 1927, the family lived near Morehead, Kentucky in a dilapidated, leaky, rat-infested house with no screens on the windows and one room that had a dirt floor. By the time Jack entered grade school, America was mired in the Great Depression. During the 30s, his father was employed by the Civilian Conservation Corp. for several years, but his mother became discouraged and depressed after losing her teaching position in the Rowan County schools. By Jack D. Ellis -
The book is more than just a dog story – with celebration of America’s melting pot democracy as a significant theme, it’s full of sparkling social satire, native lore, and mountain magic. A dog of many masters and mistresses, Jerry-B Boneyard is first befriended by Glenna Powderjay. When she goes away to college, he feels he’s not wanted and clears out to make a name for himself. Then follows a series of delightful adventures as Jerry-B tries to find his place in the world. He runs wild with a family of foxes, enjoys a romance with a pretty vixen, and even falls into temporary disgrace as a drunkard while a watchdog at a still. Mongrel Mettle is made-to-order for dog lovers everywhere. Taking in a much wider field than the usual Jesse Stuart book, it still retains the familiar charm for all who know and enjoy his work. This 80th anniversary edition of Mongrel Mettle: The Autobiography of a Dog by Jesse Stuart is made possible by generous support from Donna and Richard Sanders who dedicate the book to their grandchildren. This softback edition has 201 pages and features illustrations by Woodi Ishmael. SOFTBACK VERSION By Jesse Stuart -
Morehead Memories recalls the struggle of a city and a county to advance from a raw, violent, feud filled region into a modern educational, commercial, cultural and medical center in Eastern Kentucky. The author uses interviews, documented research and personal memories to vividly tell the story of the people, places, institutions and events through which this marvelous transformation was accomplished. HARDBACK By Jack D. Ellis -
Jesse Stuart's strong views on teaching, delinquency, and parental responibilities, as well as his sharp assessment of boards of education, are more than a novelist's imagination. Mr. Gallion's School is based on Jesse Stuart's years of personal experience as a principal and teacher. As one of America's most popular writers, Stuart makes teaching and high school administration come alive in a moving and impassioned novel. Mr. Gallion's School is an enjoyable read that's great for high school students and out-of-school adults. A powerful reminder of the sacrifices that earlier generations made in order to get an education, it's a book with a great character education message in every chapter. By Jesse Stuart -
When Thomas D. Clark was hired to teach history at the University of Kentucky in 1931, he began a career that would span nearly three-quarters of a century and would profoundly change not only the history department and the university but the entire Commonwealth. His still-definitive History of Kentucky(1937) was one of more than thirty books he would write or edit that dealt with Kentucky, the South, and the American frontier. By Thomas D. Clark -
Out of stock
This book contains the memoirs of Harry J Rust, a lifelong Kentucky attorney and farmer. The significant events are written from family accounts, written history and office records retained in Rust's 52 plus years of legal practice. Details of his farm life, particularly from the 1930s through the 1960s, are intertwined with his legal beginnings and career with Appalachian culture as the backdrop. HARDBACK VERSION Harry J. Rust -
The Civil War affected the daily lives of almost everyone in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, a slave holding state that chose not to secede from the United States. Here are the untold stories of lesser known combatants or the folks back home who suffered in so many ways from the ravages of war. Seventeen chapters range in topics from interviews with former slaves to an examination of Mary Todd Lincoln's family's military involvement in the war. SOFTBACK By Marshall Myers -
This selection of stories span Stuart's entire career as a writer of short stories. None of the stories have been previously published in any of the collections of his short stories. The book includes Stuart's thoughts on the literary form of the short story, first published in 1975, and never reprinted. David R. Palmore searched through many magazines and journals, some quite obscure, to bring together the collection. By Jesse Stuart -
The late Harry M. Caudill saw the land and people of Appalachia with an unflinching eye. His classic, Night Comes to the Cumberlands, follows the long road traveled by the Southern mountaineer. By Harry M. Caudill -
Jesse Stuart Junior Book By Jesse Stuart -
Patriots & Heroes: Eastern Kentucky Soldiers of WW II profiles the physical pain, and also the psychological and emotional stress suffered by a dozen of America's Citizen Soldiers in WW II. Their stories are representative of the courage, suffering, sacrifice and separation faced by the American GIs of that war. Included among these twelve are stories of POWs, KIAs, MIAs and many that returned home safely to become valuable, productive members of their community. The author uses interviews, letters, documents, and personal experiences to poignantly present their stories. HARDBACK By Jack D. Ellis -
Historians tend to tell our history through the lives of famous people, and certainly biographies and autobiographies play an important role in understanding Kentucky history. However, since history is the sum total of all human experiences, the lives of everyday people should shape our history, too. That’s why memoirs like the one presented here by Harry J. Rust are so important. Harry grew up on a farm in Campbell County in northern Kentucky, and, more than eight decades later, he still lives in that same area. His story of family life covers four generations. It is a strong contribution to our understanding of the hardworking middle class that has made America a great nation – a middle class that is beginning to appear more frequently in Kentucky and Appalachian memoirs. It is an important remembrance that neither exploits nor exaggerates the difficulties of rural life in Kentucky. It is a rich tapestry of the work, emotions, thoughts, and words of a man who represents millions of unrecognized rural people who are the true flesh and blood of history. This book is a valuable contribution to Kentucky history. HARDBACK VERSION Harry J. Rust -
Jesse Stuart Junior Book A Penny's Worth of Character is a lesson in honesty that the reader, young or old, will not easily forget. This delightful story is full of details from Stuart's; native eastern Kentucky. Shan Shelton is going to the store for his mother. If he had a dime, he could buy his favorite treat, a chocolate bar and a lemon soda pop. SOFTBACK By Jesse Stuart -
Throughout these stories the Kentucky hill country is a persuasive evocative background. It is in this land of sharp contrasts and powerful traditions, between barren, razorbacked hills of rock and yellow clay and lush green valleys, that a proud people act out the daily drama of their lives, here recorded by Jesse Stuart's sensitive pen. By Jesse Stuart -
Sharon McDonald grew up on a farm near Shelbyville in Bedford County, Tennessee, and, more the seven decades later, she still lives in the same house and on that same land, Her story of family live covers four generations, It is a strong contribution to our understanding of the hard-working middle class that has made America a great nation - a middle class that is beginning to appear more frequently in Appalachian memoirs. It is a gracefully written remembrance that neither exploits nor exaggerates the difficulties of rural life in southern Appalachia. It is a rich tapestry of the work, emotions, thoughts, and words of a family that represents millions of unrecognized rural people who are the true flesh and blood of history. SOFTBACK By Sharon McDonald -
Prepare to Meet Me in Heaven: The Story of Gertrude Ramey SOFTBACK & HARDBACK By Dr. Robert Emerson French -
Presidents have been visiting Kentucky since 1819 arriving by horseback, carriage, train, steamboat, bus, and airplane. Presidential Visits to Kentucky: 1819-2017 details more than 120 occasions when the President of the United States came to the Commonwealth. It chronicles when the president came, why, where he went, and who he saw as he made history. HARDBACK VERSION By Wayne Onkst -
In this family history, “Raft Tide and Railroad: How We Lived and Died — Collected Memories and Stories of an Appalachian Family and Its Seventh Son,” Appalachian author, poet, and editor Dr. Edwina Pendarvis, was guided by sage advice from a grandmother, Jet Johnson, known only to her through family stories and photographs. Not long before Johnson was murdered, she asked one of her sons to note the strength of a bundle of twigs – as opposed to an individual twig – and see it as a metaphor for family strength – a metaphor originated by an earlier Appalachian – the warrior Tecumseh. In “Raft Tide and Railroad,” the author has preserved her family’s history and recognized its strength through accounts that span seven generations of experiences in Virginia, Kentucky, and West Virginia from the early 1800s to the present. SOFTBACK VERSION By Edwina Pendarvis -
Jesse Stuart Junior Book Red Mule is the story of a friendship between a boy named Scrappie and a strange man called "Red Mule." Red Mule had worked with mules all his life and he loved them. Now tractors were coming into use and there was little work for mules. The whole town laughed. SOFTBACK By Jesse Stuart -
SOFTBACK VERSION By Wilma Dykeman -
Jesse Stuart Junior Book Mike finds a hound dog in the pasture which is obviously lost. Someone has been mean to the dog, and Mike wants him very much, but the hound won't come near him. Finally, his father helps him bring the dog home. After Mike and Speckles become inseparable, a neighbor claims to be the dog's rightful owner. Two dramatic encounters show that a good hound never forgets his real master. SOFTBACK By Jesse Stuart -
On September 26, 1918, during the devastating Battle of the Meuse-Argonne Forest, Kentucky native Willie Sandlin, acting alone, attacked and disabled three German machine gun nests and killed all twenty-four occupants. During the day’s fighting, Sandlin “voluntarily and deliberately” raced forward into dangers so great that he could hardly hope to survive. For his “conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty,” Sandlin received the Medal of Honor, which was presented to him by General John J. Pershing before Sandlin returned to America at the end of the war. HARDBACK VERSION FULL COLOR INTERIOR By James M. Gifford
