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Lauren Gabriel spent many years of her childhood in foster homes, wishing her mother would come back for her and be the family she needs. Now twenty-years-old, she still longs for a place that she can truly call home. Her work as a cashier is unfulfilling, and at Christmas it’s unbearable with the songs and carols and chatter of Christmas that she hears throughout the day. By Donna VanLiere -
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 -
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SOFTBACK By Billy C. Clark -
In The Good Spirit of Laurel Ridge, Jesse Stuart provides a tale of the Kentucky hill country which constantly excites, amuses, and amazes. The central character of this book is Theopolis Akers, "Old Opp" to his friends, the hermit of Laurel Ridge who is recognized as one of Stuart's most colorful character creations. Hermit, squatter, steadfast believer in the world of the spirits (sperets, he calls them), "Old Opp" lives a simple life atop deserted Laurel Ridge. He spends his days tilling his small patch of corn, gathering roots and nuts, or fishing with his bow and arrow. By night he sits on his porch, chews calmus weed, and listens to the wind blowing through the horse-hair harp strung up on the cabin wall. If he wants company, there is always his hound dog to talk to or various spirits to commune with including his dead wife, Beadie. By Jesse Stuart -
In twenty not-so-tall tales about rural politics in the South in rougher and tougher days, Jesse Stuart reminds us afresh that there's nothing new about political skull-duggery. The fact that he puts such labels as the Little Party and the Big Party or the Greenoughs and the Dinwiddies on the candidates doesn't mean they aren't the same old Republicans and Democrats you know so well-the wonderful folks who put Watergate on your TV screen. HARDBACK By Jesse Stuart -
Written by a beloved American author who grew up in the foothills of the Appalachians, these twenty-one short stories explore the daily lives and activities of Kentucky mountaineers. Life, animate existence, absorbs Jesse Stuart. Never is it more vital than when juxtaposed with death, hence the contrasting motifs of life and death permeating his work. In this book, Stuart tells the stories of the hills and the men who live there. They “curse the mountains,” but love them too, he says. Existing in dimensions of real geography and elaborate imagination, Stuart moves easily between autobiography and fiction and often does not bother to distinguish one from the other. Greenup County, Kentucky blends into Greenwood County, and W-Hollow in both fiction and fact is subject to the proprietorship of the bard of Appalachia. By Jesse Stuart -
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Within the pages of this book, more than sixty-five local combat veterans of World War II share their experiences. There are stories of life in the foxholes, on the beaches, having ships torpedoed out from under them on the deep oceans, and bailing out of burning bombers behind enemy lines. Soldiers and sailors and airmen saw their young friends die beside them but found no time for mourning. They spent sleepless nights with artillery shells exploding all around. They were scared and homesick. Sam Piatt, calling on his thirty years of experience as an award-winning daily newspaper reporter, relates these stories so poignantly that at times it seems the reader can actually hear and feel the battle as they are described. Men of Valor is a book that will keep the reader riveted to the combat stories of World War II veterans from Ohio and Kentucky. SOFTBACK By Sam Piatt -
Junior High and High School teachers who wish to introduce their students to Jesse Stuart have a unique teaching tool available in A Jesse Stuart Reader. This 352-page book was designed as a classroom text, and consists of eighteen stories, twenty-six poems, and excerpts from three autobiographical books — God’s Oddling, The Thread That Runs So True, and The Year of My Rebirth. An additional study and teaching aid is Ella DeMer’s 31-page “Commentary and Study Questions” section at the end of the book. Schools ordering 30 or more copies may purchase the book at $9 per copy, a 40% discount. Although most classroom sets are purchased for grades 7-12, this book is effective at the collegiate level, too. Please contact the JSF directly to take advantage of bulk discounts. SOFTBACK By Jesse Stuart -
Jesse Stuart Junior Book This is the story of a teenage girl, Joy Burton, who finds a lame albino fawn in the forest. Joy, a victim of polio, feels great compassion for the injured fawn and tenderly nurses him back to health. Inspired by her pet’s recovery, Joy becomes convinced that the operation her doctor proposed for her will be successful and that she will someday be able to walk without crutches. SOFTBACK By Jesse Stuart -
A retired publisher shares the wit, wisdom and real-life observations of his most popular newspaper commentaries in East Kentucky. SOFTBACK VERSION By Keith Kappes -
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 -
When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor in December 1941, Cornelia Fort was already in the air. At twenty-two, Fort had escaped Nashville’s debutante scene for a fresh start as a flight instructor in Hawaii. She and her student were in the middle of their lesson when the bombs began to fall, and they barely made it back to ground that morning. Still, when the U.S. Army Air Forces put out a call for women pilots to aid the war effort, Fort was one of the first to respond. She became one of just over 1,100 women from across the nation to make it through the Army’s rigorous selection process and earn her silver wings. SOFTBACK VERSION By Katherine Sharp Landeck
