Appalachian Odyssey


Book Description

Like many hikers who’ve completed the Appalachian Trail, Jeffrey Ryan didn’t do it in one long through-hike. Grabbing weekends here and days off there, it took Jeffrey twenty-eight years to finish the trail, and along the way he learned much about himself and made many new friends, including his best friend, who made the journey with him from start to finish. Including 75 color photos, this engaging book is part memoir, part natural history and lore, and part practical advice. Whether you’ve hiked the AT, are planning to hike it, or only wish to dream of hiking it, this is the book to read next.




Child of the Woods


Book Description

Child of the Woods is a uniquely beautiful collection of short stories and observations from Susi Seguret's experiences growing up in the natural settings of rural Appalachia. Immerse yourself in the vibrant and exciting world of Appalachia! Child of the Woods is an exploration of the world through the eyes of a young child, whose life was defined and enriched by nature that surrounded her. This collection of short stories and insights highlights the wonders of growing up in rural Appalachia, learning to live as one with the land. These stories embrace the universal themes of self-discovery, adventure, and finding one's place in a living world.




An Appalachian Odyssey


Book Description

This book is a tribute to my parents who instilled in me a strong will to succeed. The emphasis was on hard work and honesty. There was little money available but that made little difference to the boys in Keiffer Holler. Most of the time we were busy working and our leisure time was spent in the beautiful mountains and fishing. Until I was a junior in high school I thought a log cabin in the rural hills of Greenbrier County, a job in a union mine and a four wheel drive vehicle would mean the perfect life. vehicle would mean the perfect life. My story deals with the many twists and turns of leaving the mountains of Appalachia. Some are sad and some are hilarious. The cultural differences I encountered could be compared to Homers account of the Greek, Odysseus. My experiences could never measure up to the Cyclops but there were many challenges along the way. The strong values I gained during my formative years in Appalachia were a major factor guiding me to success throughout my first 76 years of life.




Becoming Odyssa


Book Description

Originally published in 2010 with the subtitle Epic adventures on the Appalachian Trail.




When You Find My Body


Book Description

When Geraldine “Gerry” Largay (AT trail name, Inchworm) first went missing on the Appalachian Trail in remote western Maine in 2013, the people of Maine were wrought with concern. When she was not found, the family, the wardens, and the Navy personnel who searched for her were devastated. The Maine Warden Service continued to follow leads for more than a year. They never completely gave up the search. Two years after her disappearance, her bones and scattered possessions were found by chance by two surveyors. She was on the U.S. Navy’s SERE (Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape) School land, about 2,100 feet from the Appalachian Trail. This book tells the story of events preceding Geraldine Largay’s vanishing in July 2013, while hiking the Appalachian Trail in Maine, what caused her to go astray, and the massive search and rescue operation that followed. Her disappearance sparked the largest lost-person search in Maine history, which culminated in her being presumed dead. She was never again seen alive. The author was one of the hundreds of volunteers who searched for her. Gerry’s story is one of heartbreak, most assuredly, but is also one of perseverance, determination, and faith. For her family and the searchers, especially the Maine Warden Service, it is also a story of grave sorrow. Marrying the joys and hardship of life in the outdoors, as well as exploring the search & rescue community, When You Find My Body examines dying with grace and dignity. There are lessons in the story, both large and small. Lessons that may well save lives in the future.




Hermit


Book Description

"When Jim Whyte settled outside the slate mining town of Monson, Maine, in 1895, people hardly knew what to make of him. Almost 130 years later, we still don't. A world traveler who spoke six languages fluently, Whyte came to town with sacks full of money and a fierce desire to keep to himself. It was clear that Whyte was hiding something -- enough to make the FBI come looking. But even the Feds couldn't imagine how Whyte, who lost every penny he had when WWI broke out, amassed another fortune before he died. Based on the true story, Hermit follows one man's quest to discover all he can about Whyte's secret life before it's too late"--from back cover.




Turn Left at the Trojan Horse


Book Description

A modern-day Odysseus, Herzog plunges into a solo cross-country search for insight. With middle age bearing down on him, he takes stock: How has he measured up to his own youthful aspirations? In contemporary America, what is a life well lived? What is a heroic life?




Appalachia


Book Description

Interweaving social, political, environmental, economic, and popular history, John Alexander Williams chronicles four and a half centuries of the Appalachian past. Along the way, he explores Appalachia's long-contested boundaries and the numerous, often contradictory images that have shaped perceptions of the region as both the essence of America and a place apart. Williams begins his story in the colonial era and describes the half-century of bloody warfare as migrants from Europe and their American-born offspring fought and eventually displaced Appalachia's Native American inhabitants. He depicts the evolution of a backwoods farm-and-forest society, its divided and unhappy fate during the Civil War, and the emergence of a new industrial order as railroads, towns, and extractive industries penetrated deeper and deeper into the mountains. Finally, he considers Appalachia's fate in the twentieth century, when it became the first American region to suffer widespread deindustrialization, and examines the partial renewal created by federal intervention and a small but significant wave of in-migration. Throughout the book, a wide range of Appalachian voices enlivens the analysis and reminds us of the importance of storytelling in the ways the people of Appalachia define themselves and their region.




Navigating Early


Book Description

“Just the sort of book that saves lives by igniting a passion for reading.” —James Patterson “Reminiscent of Huckleberry Finn.” —The Wall Street Journal A Michael L. Printz Honor Winner From the author of Newbery Medal winner Moon Over Manifest comes the odyssey-like adventure of two boys’ incredible quest on the Appalachian Trail. When Jack Baker’s father sends him from his home in Kansas to attend a boys’ boarding school in Maine, Jack doesn’t know what to expect. Certainly not Early Auden, the strangest of boys. Early keeps to himself, reads the number pi as a story, and refuses to accept truths others take for granted. Jack, feeling lonely and out of place, connects with Early, and the two become friends. During a break from school, the boys set out for the Appalachian Trail on a quest for a great black bear. As Jack and Early travel deeper into the mountains, they meet peculiar and dangerous characters, and they make some shocking discoveries. But their adventure is only just beginning. Will Jack’s and Early’s friendship last the journey? Can the boys make it home alive? An ALA Best Fiction for Young Adults Selection An ALA-ALSC Notable Children’s Book A New York Times Editor’s Choice A New York Times Bestseller An Indie Pick A Bank Street College of Education Best Book of the Year A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year A Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year A Booklist Books for Youth Editors’ Choice Selection A BookPage Best Children’s Book A Texas Lone Star Reading List Selection A Notable Children's Book in Language Arts Book A Down East Magazine Best of Maine Book A North Carolina Young Adult Book Award Master List Selection An Iowa Children's Choice Award Finalist




The Road Out


Book Description

Provides an account of a teacher's quest to give a first-rate education to a group of seven impoverished Cincinnati girls using the powers of sisterhood and fiction.