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Summary: Whoa there
Review: "The horse stepped sideways and he hollered,'Whoa there'." (page 35) Would that I, instead of the horse, had obeyed Hank's command at this point in the book. Unfortunately, I labored on to end, enduring all too much more of this same type of captivating dialog.
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Summary: fun
Review: This is just a good old fashioned yarn. This is a book to curl up with on a weekend. I really appreciate quality writing of this caliber...Like well aged wine or a fine cigar you want to experience this novel to it's fullest. I'll rank this one right up there with Helen Fielding's 'Bridget Jones' or Asher Brauner's 'Love songs of the tone deaf' as the best new fiction to come out in the last few years. This is a very enjoyable read!
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Summary: Gap Creek
Review: This was my first and last "Oprah" book. It was well written - but way way too depressing - not one good thing happened to the main character (nor the others). I was given the audiobook and listened to it on my commute to work - I continued hoping that something pleasant would transpire - the book put me in a sad mood all week - thank goodness it was abridged.
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Summary: Why I recommend "Gap Creek"
Review: I feel compelled to put in my "nickel's worth" for "Gap Creek", even though I have not completely finished the book. I find it to be a "busy" book, and in some places takes a strong stomach, but it keeps you turning pages to see "What in the world is going to happen next?". I am just now to where Julie and Hank have survived the flood, but haven't cleaned up the mess yet. But, leave it to Julie, she will get it done, with or without Hank's help. I recommend it as "a superb read".
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Summary: my grandmother's life
Review: This was a most interesting and captivating book to me. My grandmother emigrated here from Lithuania when she was about the same age as the narrator of this book, and she too, encountered many, many hardships in her life. Many of these hardships occured in Lithuania before she left - her mother died when she was 16 and she had to raise her youner brother and sister. She farmed and slaughtered animals for the family's sustenance, she endured the abuse of an alcoholic husband and raised 4 wonderful successful children. I loved this book because it made me feel close to Grandma and helped me to see and feel a little bit about her life, she is a true hero to me! I highly recommend this book.
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Summary: This book was wonderful!
Review: I read "Gap Creek" over a month ago (...) This bookwas great! Julie learns a lot about being a wife really fast.She had to put up with WAY too much from her young husband. The pig slaugtering was a bit too graphic, but hey, that's life. Read this book and enjoy!
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Summary: WOW! Simple, and.....SIMPLY STUPID!
Review: I wish I could get my money back for buying this hard cover. This is an unbelievably simple story of turn-of-the-century, mountain life for a poor young couple. The characters have no depth and most of the book is taken up with descriptions of scenery and the how-to of doing chores (killing hogs, chopping wood etc.) down on the farm. There is no meat to any of the characters, so you don't develop any empathy for them or their daily struggles to survive. I also wonder how they could have subtitled this book "The Story of a Marriage" considering it only covers the first year of this couple's marriage. I bought it expecting to read about a relationship that spanned at least 20 years. There is absolutely no insight in to what makes these characters tick, and really no developing plot lines to make the story interesting. The language is simple, typeface large, and lots of white space on the pages -- this book only took me 6 rides on the commuter train to finish -- kind of disappointing considering the price. As with other recent Oprah picks, I think she just chose it because the main female character, Julie, proves how tough she is by cooking and cleaning and scavenging for food while her lazy husband, who can't hold down a job due to his temper, mopes around and complains. How is that supposed to be a good female role model! Please save your money and a few good hours of your life and read something a little more interesting, challenging and fulfilling than this pulpy fluff.
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Summary: Gap Creek
Review: This book was the most heartwarming book I have ever read. The young woman, Julie is a treasure. You know from the first chapter that this is a family of great love, morals and backbone. Julie has learned well. I will never forget the chapter where she is aware that with winter comming she must know what there is on the property to eat. This is a wonderful search, with such a knowing young lady. The human spirit of this book is touching, the characters real, a wonderful read.
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Summary: Nice read!
Review: I recently finished reading the novel "Gap Creek, The Story of a Marriage" and was fairly impressed by its message. A young girl endures and survives an upbringing in the rural mountains of Appalachia. Withstanding merciless grief over too-soon deaths in the family of mostly females, her fate is to be forced into a life of hard physical labor to support and sustain the family of her mother and four sisters. Julie successfully persists with this way of life until meeting and marrying. The story unfolds to reveal a young couple, married with too little money and too many woes. One particularly gloomy afternoon in their days old marriage, Hank strikes Julie. Julie is devastated, although a strong woman, she could not and will not stay with an abusive husband, but after a revealing visit from her mother-in-law, soon realizes what may have caused Hank's error. The young couple survive countless horrific tragedies driven by poverty and misfortune during their new life in this strange place called 'Gap Creek'. This is a story of a young unfortunate couple who may have lost each other along the path of a hard life, but have remarkably, through the power of love, forgiveness, hard work, and perseverance, find their way back to each other with a renewed sense of respect, commitment and triumph. There is no doubt that they are survivors and that they will continue to survive - together.
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Summary: Gap Creek
Review: I thought the book should be appriciated for what it is.This is a book of simple people and I got exactly that.I don't agree that the characters were underdeveloped.I think that is what the author wanted and it was his intention to focus on the way of life instead of a deep complicated character.I thought Julie was a great charachter to express the lifestyle and times.It was simple but very good. I felt taken away in Julies world and learned alot of interesting things about their times and living.
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