I didn't have nothing but my apron, and I put my apron over his hair and snuffed out the flames. But the central theme throughout the book is the story of a marriage, be it the good times or the bad times, and what it takes to make a union between two people last a lifetime. A silver dollar had rolled out of the jar onto the porch. "That's what comes of being in a hurry," Ma said. . In the months before her marriage her brother and father die – and then the man whose house they move to, wear Julie keeps house for their rent, he dies shortly after. I screamed as the flames covered Mr. Pendergast up. Robert Morgan's "Gap Creek" is written in a simple manner, easy to read, but raw. People depend on her to slaughter the hogs and nurse the dying. Born in Hendersonville, NC, he teaches at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY, where he is Kappa Alpha Professor of English. I took hold of Mr. Pendergast's feet and yanked as hard as I could, and he moved a little. Start by marking “Gap Creek” as Want to Read: Error rating book. At just seventeen she marries and moves down into the valley of Gap Creek, where perhaps life will be better. His eyebrows was burned off and the skin on his cheeks looked red and peeling, and bloody in places under the soot. They were what they were. The newlyweds and their progression through life working a farm under the watchful eye of the owner who is elderly. "Don't get blood on the lard fat," Ma said. Robert Morgan knows every corner, every inch, of the way of life he portrays in this deeply affecting book. The newlyweds and their progression through life working a farm under the watchful eye of the owner who is elderly. After viewing product detail pages, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in. She grew up helping her father and mother run their house and farm. I thought this one started strong but ended weak. Happy with my choice. Also, the further along I got, the more I skimmed because I started getting bored. This is. I jerked harder and got Mr. Pendergast halfway out the door. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of, Published This story is plodding, unforgiving and - after the abrupt ending - I would add, unfinished. The relationships are realistic and rather unsatisfying, which I liked. Gap Creek speaks of things both intimate and eternal.--Stewart O'Nan. Well written. Julie Harmon is like other strong mountain women created by Harriette Arnow, Lee Smith, and Wilma Dykeman; she survives poverty, flood and pain by mixing hard work with love. Julie watches her brother and then her father die, and is the one the family depends on to care for these two as they are ill. Events take a quick turn after these deaths when Julie meets Hank Richards, and marries at the young age of 17. Overall, though, I enjoyed the story, and I think MOrgan accurately portrays the Appalachian lifes. This book was an Ophra selection in its day and as such is very depressing, doom and gloom book, where the main character has to fight the whole world. I recommend this book. It reminds those of us sitting comfortably in our easy chairs, sipping lattes, and reading books how difficult life once was just a century ago. The protagonist, Julie, is a teen herself throughout the story and so it provides and interesting insight in how some teens lived at the. There was nothing to breathe but smoke, dirty, greasy smoke. Below are weather averages from 1971 to 2000 according to data gathered from the nearest official weather station. Spoiler ahead. Since I haven't been reading like I used to, I wanted something easy to get me back in the groove, and this book, and the snippet of review from the NYT on the cover, caught my eye. SOLVED. Unlike some of her other selections – this one keeps you entranced through the whole story. Was this bad? Captivating book that graphically describes everyday poor life in the turn-of-the-century Appalachians. I definitely recommend it. She was physically strong and knew what had to be done to make it through some tough challenges. Use of this excerpt from GAP CREEK may be made only for purposes of promoting the book, with no changes, editing, or additions whatsoever, and must be accompanied by the following copyright notice: Copyright c 1999 by Robert Morgan. You couldn't see nothing in the kitchen. What the young woman of the story had to do daily just to survive, put me in my place. The first edition of the novel was published in 1999, and was written by Robert Morgan. Julie watches her brother and then her father die, and is the one the family depends on to care for these two as they are ill. Events take a quick turn after these deaths when Julie meets Hank Richards, and marries at the young age of 17. It’s the smell of blood mixed with air that hangs over a bed and fills a sickroom. He looked through the doorway into the smoke. To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. I rated this 5 stars because of the way it was written and the twists in this couple's story. Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 26, 2016. She is just a teenager when her brother dies her arms. "You stay out of there!" Julie narrates this story, telling of sorrows and joy. Gap Creek speaks of things both intimate and eternal.--Stewart O'Nan, A starkly beautiful story of a strong young woman prevailing over natural disasters and tragedies, as well as cultural barriers, in the first year of her marriage in the last year of the century.--Loyal Jones, Gap Creek is the work of a master. There was no way I wanted to get out of it. I was looking for something to occupy some time over winter break and this seemed to meet my requirement--just about 300 pages. Instead of answering I started carving up more fat at the table. Robert Morgan knows every corner, every inch, of the way of life he portrays in this deeply affecting book. 2:32 PM. Gap Creek takes you back in time to Julie Harmon's life at the turn of the century. Summary: There is a most unusual woman living in Gap Creek. The New York Times At the beginning of the 20th Century there is a most unusual woman living in Gap Creek, isolated in the Appalachian high country. I was so weak I couldn't hardly stand up. Prime members enjoy FREE Delivery and exclusive access to music, movies, TV shows, original audio series, and Kindle books. --Doris Betts, "In examining the hard, honest lives of his people, Robert Morgan gives voice to a time and place rarely imagined. And I seen Mr. Pendergast laying on the porch floor groaning. This book was not so bad but it wasn't as intriguing to me as the other books I read. Somebody pushed me and lifted me, and the next thing I knowed I was hobbling and tripping down the steps out into the yard where the air was cool. Robert Morgan was raised on his family's farm in the North Carolina mountains. The Road From Gap Creek is narrated by the younger daughter of Julia, the heroine of Gap Creek. Death, floods, winter storms, poverty, childbirth, accidents... they were as common place as the amount of work on the homestead that Julie went through from sun up to sun down. You can book online and reserve camping site and or day passes, use the link below to get started. Don't ignore this book.' In the months before her marriage her brother and father die – and then the man whose house they move to, wear Julie keeps house for their rent, he dies shortly after. Alright I know this book has been out for years, but I just got around to reading it. The other complaint that some of my friends had was that the title would seem to indicate it covered the whole marriage or at least a good part of it. The story is told in her simple, uneducated voice, in spare and rough prose. My first book by this author, would love to read more by him. More than that and I admit it, I get distracted! If you think your life is rough, read this book. Ma screamed. In this story, the land of Gap Creek rears itself up and fights against the main characters Julie, Hank and the other mountain people on. The scene with Julie, her father, and brother in the woods at night is amazingly well done, especially Julie's realization that the natural world. I was attracted to this because it takes place in the Appalachians. I found myself fascinated with descriptions of even the most mundane of tasks. Julie Harmon is an inspiring, likable character who keeps going even while enduring one tragedy after another. People are weak, and there is so much to do. 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