Cabin: A Mountain Adventure (review)

honorable living; it also includes the "least brethren," as shown in the story "Thicker Than Liquor." Here, in a narrative full of humor and pathos, the mystery of loving and suffering are explored as Wheeler takes care of his alcoholic Uncle Peach. Wheeler retrieves Peach from one of his periodic drunken binges in Louisville and tries to help this pathetic creature get home in one piece. The trip home is one to remember, and it reminded me of my own misadventures trying to care for an alcoholic uncle. Wild Birds is permeated by good humor and at times great drama. Interesting, entertaining and thought-provoking, it is characterized, like so much of the good writing done by Kentucky writers, by a sense of place, by the conviction that "such a little piece of the world as he has before him now would be worth a man's long life," and that the questions to ask in this life include, "What would be best for this good farm? What should be done here for the good of the world?" Wendell Berry has presented us with a fine gift in The WildBirds, and his growing body of writing is certainly worth a "man's long life." —Robert Coughlin Hallowell, Barbara. Cabin: A Mountain Adventure. Illustrations by Aline Hansens. Boone, North Carolina: Appalachian Consortium Press, 1986. Paperback, $8.95, plus $1.00 for shipping. This factual account of restoring an old log cabin, though not a how-to book, gives a good idea of the frustrations, expense, delays, and ultimately the delight of such a project—"a mountain adventure" for the middle-class New Jersey family settling in Western North Carolina. The Hallowells have to strip off the various nailed-on, plastered-on coverings down to the bare logs, then take apart and reassemble their cabin piece by piece on a nearby location, meanwhile adding a few amenities and meeting the requirements of official inspectors. By the time the project is relatively completed, John, Anne, and Charlie are all off at college and Barbara and Tom can sit back in their rockers on the cabin's front porch and enjoy the sunset over the mountains by themselves. The complex project is further complicated by cultural differences and even little misunderstandings of pronunciation. At first the Hallowells cannot understand the local concept of time, the workmen's casualness about appointments and leisurely work pace. But as they pitch into the dirty work themselves, comprehension begins to grow. Through contact with the workmen, local artisans, and surviving members of the family that once owned the old homestead, Barbara and Tom gradually develop an appreciation for the Appalachian lifestyle and language. By the end of the book, they sense the responsibilities of taking on the cultural heritage represented by the cabin. Of course, with their ecological concerns, their leanings towards simple living, and their interest in other cultures, the Hallowells arrived already favorably disposed towards the Appalachian heritage. Despite their favorable disposition, they still show some occasional insensitivity—for example, towards the old couple (the onetime owners) living on the homestead when they buy it from a third party, and I don't think I would want Barbara looking over my shoulder if I were a workman, or lecturing me for killing harmless snakes, either. Nor is Barbara's style likely to win any literary awards. Her writing is competent, but her efforts to describe the many beauties of the mountain setting are erratic, sometimes sounding almost like Annie Dillard (Pilgrim at Tinker Creek) but at other 71 times gushy. Not all readers will share her fascination with birdcalls. Another complaint about the book is its poor editing and/or proofreading—e.g., "Found atop the commode lid, awaiting the first user, was found a sign in Tom's unmistakable hand" (pp. 225-226). Notwithstanding its lack of literary pretension, Cabin: A Mountain Adventure obviously has its appeal. As I was checking into Lexington's Bluegrass Airport, the airline employee at the counter wanted to take it into the back to show his pal, who is interested in cabins. Then when I reached home, I could hardly get the book away from my wife in order...