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Southern Literature

This group is for any reader interested in southern literature, from the classics (Thomas Wolfe, Eudora Welty, Erskine Caldwell, etc.) to the contemporary (Fannie Flagg, Lee Smith, Nicholas Sparks, etc.). Members should share a love of texts that relay the often humble lives of eccentric southerners as they tackle the odds, build character, and...more »
  • Category: Genres | Started Thursday, February 8 2007

Discussions: Appalachian Lit suggestions

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Appalachian Lit suggestions
Started by Leigh Ann E, Friday, February 22 2008. Last post 9 days ago.

I love books that take place around the Appalachian mountains. Particularly those set during the coal wars (Storming Heaven and Unquiet Earth are favorites). Does anyone have any other suggestions that they've enjoyed?
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DashForCover - Sunday, February 24 2008
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I don't know about the coar wars. But one book I enjoyed many years ago was Christy by Catherine Marshall. It was about, I believe, her grandmother.

Dash For Cover
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MaggieReads - Monday, March 17 2008
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I love Tall Woman by Dykeman! Hubby goes off to the Civil War and wifey must make do. Precurser to the Foxfire books. :D
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Icedream - Friday, April 4 2008
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I should remember more but off the top of my head:
Thunder in the Mountains- Lon Savage
Coal Run- Tawni O'Dell
Miner's Daughter- Gretchen Laskas
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Rhonda L - Sunday, April 6 2008
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These aren't during the Coal Wars, but, Adriana Trigiani's Big Stone Gap books are wonderful, especially for those of us who are from near that area, and recognize some of the landmarks and such.
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Miss P - Monday, April 7 2008
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Coal wars aside, "Fair and Tender Ladies" by Lee Smith is magnificent, followed by the outstanding Gap Creek - Robert Morgan and Prodical Summer - Barbara Kingsolver.
The Stone Gap books by Adriana Trigiani are always a fun read.
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Jane J - Saturday, May 10 2008
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I just finished a great mystery set in the Appalachians of NC.........
"Signs In The Blood" by Vicki Lane
It was well written, and has a lot of local flavor and color of the area!
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Tracy W - Tuesday, May 13 2008
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Again, not sure about those coal wars. But The Songcatcher by Sharon McCrumb is the Appalachia-set novel (other than Marshall's Christy, of course) that comes immediately to mind. It skips through time from the 18th to late 20th centuries.
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Barbara M - Sunday, May 25 2008
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I just finished reading Cataloochee by Caldwell. His first novel. Setting in the NC mountains; time period from just after the Civil War through the 1800s. I am ignorant of the Coal Wars so I will have to work on learning more about that.
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jenlynn97 - 4 weeks ago
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I like to go to English grad school websites and download the syllabus for the Appalachian Literature classes, if I can. I get most of my suggestions that way.
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Kathie C - 9 days ago
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Clay's Quilt....
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