Winter’s Bone by Daniel Woodrell
(amazon) "The lineage from Faulkner to Woodrell runs as
deep and true as an Ozark stream in this book...his most profound and haunting
yet." -- Los Angeles Times Book Review
Ree Dolly's father has skipped bail on charges that he ran a
crystal meth lab, and the Dollys will lose their house if he doesn't show up
for his next court date. With two young brothers depending on her, 16-year-old
Ree knows she has to bring her father back, dead or alive. Living in the harsh
poverty of the Ozarks, Ree learns quickly that asking questions of the rough
Dolly clan can be a fatal mistake. But, as an unsettling revelation lurks, Ree
discovers unforeseen depths in herself and in a family network that protects
its own at any cost.
Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes
(amazon) Alice Wright marries handsome American Bennett Van
Cleve hoping to escape her stifling life in England. But small-town
Kentucky quickly proves equally claustrophobic, especially living alongside her
overbearing father-in-law. So when a call goes out for a team of women to
deliver books as part of Eleanor Roosevelt’s new traveling library, Alice signs
on enthusiastically.
The leader, and soon Alice's greatest ally, is Margery, a smart-talking, self-sufficient woman who's never asked a man's permission for anything. They will be joined by three other singular women who become known as the Packhorse Librarians of Kentucky.
What happens to them--and to the men they love--becomes an unforgettable drama of loyalty, justice, humanity and passion. These heroic women refuse to be cowed by men or by convention. And though they face all kinds of dangers in a landscape that is at times breathtakingly beautiful, at others brutal, they’re committed to their job: bringing books to people who have never had any, arming them with facts that will change their lives.
Based on a true story rooted in America’s past, The Giver of Stars is unparalleled in its scope and epic in its storytelling. Funny, heartbreaking, enthralling, it is destined to become a modern classic--a richly rewarding novel of women’s friendship, of true love, and of what happens when we reach beyond our grasp for the great beyond.
The leader, and soon Alice's greatest ally, is Margery, a smart-talking, self-sufficient woman who's never asked a man's permission for anything. They will be joined by three other singular women who become known as the Packhorse Librarians of Kentucky.
What happens to them--and to the men they love--becomes an unforgettable drama of loyalty, justice, humanity and passion. These heroic women refuse to be cowed by men or by convention. And though they face all kinds of dangers in a landscape that is at times breathtakingly beautiful, at others brutal, they’re committed to their job: bringing books to people who have never had any, arming them with facts that will change their lives.
Based on a true story rooted in America’s past, The Giver of Stars is unparalleled in its scope and epic in its storytelling. Funny, heartbreaking, enthralling, it is destined to become a modern classic--a richly rewarding novel of women’s friendship, of true love, and of what happens when we reach beyond our grasp for the great beyond.
Winter’s Bone (DVD)
(rotten tomatoes) Her family home in danger of being
repossessed after her meth-cooking dad skips bail and disappears, Ozark teen
Ree Dolly (Jennifer Lawrence) breaks the local code of conduct by confronting
her kin about their conspiracy of silence. Should she fail to track her father
down, Ree Dolly, her younger siblings, and their disabled mother will soon be
rendered homeless. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
Hunger Games trilogy (DVD)
(rotten tomatoes) Every year in the ruins of what was once
North America, the evil Capitol of the nation of Panem forces each of its
twelve districts to send a teenage boy and girl to compete in the Hunger Games.
A twisted punishment for a past uprising and an ongoing government intimidation
tactic, The Hunger Games are a nationally televised event in which
"Tributes" must fight with one another until one survivor remains.
Pitted against highly-trained Tributes who have prepared for these Games their
entire lives, Katniss is forced to rely upon her sharp instincts as well as the
mentorship of drunken former victor Haymitch Abernathy. If she's ever to return
home to District 12, Katniss must make impossible choices in the arena that
weigh survival against humanity and life against love. -- (C) Lionsgate
Cold Mountain (DVD)
(rotten tomatoes) Inman, a Civil War Confederate soldier, is
seriously wounded in battle before heading home to North Carolina to his
pre-war beloved, Ada. In his absence, Ada--with the help of a young drifter
named Ruby--is desperately trying to hold onto the farm of her deceased
missionary father. Inman's long journey home takes him through the crumbling
confederacy, as he meets people of all walks of life who want to both aid and
hinder his mission.
Hounddog (DVD)
(rotten tomatoes) A precocious but troubled young girl
living in 1950s-era Alabama seeks solace in the music of Elvis Presley in
director Deborah Kampmeier's controversial tale of childhood trauma and musical
healing. War of the Worlds star Dakota Fanning takes the lead for a period
drama that made its debut at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival.
(amazon) The Appalachian Trail trail stretches from Georgia
to Maine and covers some of the most breathtaking terrain in America–majestic
mountains, silent forests, sparking lakes. If you’re going to take a hike, it’s
probably the place to go. And Bill Bryson is surely the most entertaining guide
you’ll find. He introduces us to the history and ecology of the trail and to
some of the other hardy (or just foolhardy) folks he meets along the way–and a
couple of bears. Already a classic, A Walk in the Woods will make you
long for the great outdoors (or at least a comfortable chair to sit and read
in).
The Last Sin Eater by Francine Rivers
(amazon) In the misty peaks and valleys of Appalachia roams
the sin eater―a myth as much as a man, burdened with absolving the sins of
villagers passing from this life to the next. But when a young girl uncovers
the dark secret behind the tradition, she vows to show her village the truth.
All that matters for young Cadi Forbes is finding the one man who can set her free from the sin that plagues her, the sin that has stolen her mother’s love from her and made Cadi wish she could flee life and its terrible injustice. But Cadi doesn’t know that the sin eater is seeking as well. Before their journeys are over, Cadi and the sin eater must face themselves, each other, and the One who will demand everything from them in exchange for the answers they seek.
All that matters for young Cadi Forbes is finding the one man who can set her free from the sin that plagues her, the sin that has stolen her mother’s love from her and made Cadi wish she could flee life and its terrible injustice. But Cadi doesn’t know that the sin eater is seeking as well. Before their journeys are over, Cadi and the sin eater must face themselves, each other, and the One who will demand everything from them in exchange for the answers they seek.
The Rosewood Casket by Sharyn McCrumb
(amazon) The stage is set for family drama when Randall
Stargill lies dying on his southern Appalachian farm, and his four sons come
home to build him a coffin made from the special cache of rosewood he has saved
for this purpose. Meanwhile, mountain wisewoman, Nora Bonesteel, prepares
another box―to be buried with him. Among them, a real estate developer is
hovering over the family's farm bringing secrets and tensions to the surface.
In a style both lyrical and beautifully detailed, with a
narrative that flows from Native American lore and the burnished tales of
Daniel Boone―up to the sharpest, and keenly realized landscapes of Appalachia
today, The Rosewood Casket is a novel as hauntingly beautiful as the
mountains that gave it charge--and a stunning addition to our collection of
McCrumb Ballad novels.
Get Low (DVD)
(rotten tomatoes) Inspired by the true story of Tennessee
recluse Felix "Bush" Breazeale, who planned his funeral while he was
still alive, director Aaron Schneider's dramatic period thriller stars Robert
Duvall, Bill Murray, Sissy Spacek, and Lucas Black. Few folks have spoken with
Felix Bush (Duvall) since he disappeared into the Tennessee woods 40 years ago,
and the ones who have don't necessarily have the kindest things to say about
him. Gruff, confrontational, and ill-tempered, Felix has been the source of
many malicious rumors over the years.
Some say he's a cold-hearted killer and
his penchant for walking into town with a shotgun, a wild beard, and threadbare
clothes doesn't exactly give the impression of a man who seeks to make friends.
When Felix walks into Frank Quinn's (Murray) funeral parlor and announces his intentions
to throw himself a massive party before he passes away, word quickly spreads
through town and anticipation starts to run high. Before long the big day has
finally arrived, and Felix surprises everyone by revealing exactly why he
shunned society to lead a life of solitude in the deep woods. ~ Jason Buchanan,
Rovi
Burning Bright: Stories by Ron Rash
(amazon) Winner of the Frank O'Connor International Short
Story Award, Burning Bright captures the complexities of Appalachia’s
rugged, brutal landscape of exceptional beauty, promise, and suffering that
serves as New York Times bestselling author Ron Rash's muse. Spanning
from the Civil War to the present day, Rash's historical and modern settings
are sewn together in a haunting patchwork of suspense and myth, populated by
raw and unforgettable characters mined from the landscape.
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