New Appalachian Books

New Appalachian Books George Brosi Beaver, Patricia D. Rural Community in the Appalachian South. Prospect Heights, Illinois: Waveland, 1992. 182 pages with index and bibliography. Reprint of a 1986 release. Trade paperback. $9.95. Even before this book appeared in this relatively inexpensive edition, it was easy to argue that it was the obvious choice among the many community studies of Appalachia. It is up to date. It deals with contemporary issues, such as sex roles, and it is sympathetic without being sentimental. It emphasizes diversity by including material from three different communities in the North Carolina mountains. The author grew up in Enka and Asheville, North Carolina, and currently is a faculty member at Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina. Benedict, Pinckney. The Wrecking Yard and Other Stories. New York: Doubleday, 1992. 208 pages. Hardback in dust jacket. $19.00 The author, a native of Greenbrier County, West Virginia, is one of the bright young stars ofAppalachian literature. A fellow West Virginia native, Lisa Koger, author of Farlanburg Stories, perhaps best described this book in her review for the Atlanta Constitution: "The Wrecking Yard evinces masterful storytelling, authenticity of voice, and an impressive understanding of the dark side of human nature." Bradshaw, Michael. The Appalachian Regional Commission: Twenty-five Years of Government Policy. Lexington: University Press of Kentucky, 1992. 168 pages with index, bibliography, maps, charts, and tables. Hardback in dust jacket. $21.00. This book by a British academic provides an overview of the history of the Appalachian Regional Commission, with emphasis on the political nature of the ARC. The author maintains that there is no correlation between the places ARC George Brosi is the proprietor of a business called Appalachian Mountain Books and publishes a periodical by that same name twelve times a year. He sells books, both new and out-of-print, through the mail and brings a display of booksfor sale to regional events. His address is Appalachian Mountain Books, Route 2, Box 238, Whittier, North Carolina 28789. His phone number is 704-586-5319. 75 has emphasized for funding and the places within the region where the greatest economic growth has been experienced. Grubb, Davis. The Barefoot Man. New York: Zebra, 1992. 330 pages. Reprint of a 1971 release. Trade paperback. $9.00. Along with Mary Lee Settle, Davis Grubb was one of the most prominent West Virginia authors of the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s. A native of Moundsville, he left the state as a young man but gave almost all of his fiction a West Virginia setting. In contrast to most of Grubb's books, which tend to pit evil men against good communities, this coalfield novel portrays basically good men struggling against the evil environment of 1930s coal camp life. Along with Settle's Scapegoat and Denise Giardina's Storming Heaven, this must be considered one of the best mine-war novels by a West Virginia native. ____________. The Night of the Hunter. New York: Zebra, 1992. 238 pages. Reprint of a 1953 release. Trade paperback. $9.00. "Make no mistake about it, The Night of the Hunter is a thriller which commands one's frozen attention ... [it is] a work of beauty and power and astonishing verbal magic."—New York Times. This was Grubb's very first novel. It established both a literary reputation for him and a screen-writing reputation for James Agee, who did die screenplay for its first Hollywood adaptation. The central character is an evil preacher who had the words love and hate tattooed on the knuckles of his hands. ____________. Shadow ofMy Brother. New York, Zebra, 1992. 301 pages. Reprint of a 1966 release. Trade paperback. $9.00. This story begins with the lynching of a young black man witnessed by two lovers and partially perpetrated by the father of one of the lovers. Family loyalty, racism, love, and hate all figure in this dramatic and well-written novel. LeMaster, J. R, ed. Jesse Stuart on Education. Lexington: University Press of Kentucky, 1992. 164 pages. Hardback in dust jacket. $19.00. Jesse Stuart (1906-1984) was the son of an illiterate tenant farmer who rejected coal mining for farm life in W-Hollow in northeastern...