Rating: 
Summary: Very good read
Review: I enjoyed this novel of a young newlywed that struggles through life. It is a fun journey.
Rating: 
Summary: Simple reading
Review: I could probably say I enjoyed this book, but it was just too one-dimensional and hackneyed. First of all, the cover states that it's "A story of a marriage." This is incorrect. This book is rather a story of a young woman in a marriage. To say that the story is about a marriage should mean that it involves, equally, the wife and husband as partners, sharing and experiencing life. This book, however, takes a one-sided look at the wife, while only lightly brushing upon the husband with pure feminist stereotypes. The man is written as wishy-washy, abusive, simple, pouting and, in times of crisis, weak. The woman, however, is the highly evolved, courageous, strong, decisive, knows-what's-best leader of the family. It's really too bad. The story provides a lot of visual and emotional description, and really does put you into the time. I just wish that the characters were more original. I suppose that's what I receive for failing to notice the "Oprah's Book Club" seal besmirching the cover....
Rating: 
Summary: Inspiring, strong woman...a real feminist!!
Review: Gap Creek
This story was superb. The main character Julie was a true feminist. She never quit or gave up on anything,whether it was "fair" or not, hard or easy. She rarely worried about the opinions of others. She did what needed to be done. Instead of running back home to momma or just running off to look for an easier life, she kept her commitments. She actually understood what commitment meant and was willing to give whatever it took, no limits. She was a truly grounded woman and always approached situations with her faith, her heart and a big dose of reality. She spent little time worrying on things that she couldn't change. She had seen life and death and knew that life continued on no matter what happened, and there was no sense in just giving up and quitting. Julie was a person who lived in the present moment and did the very best she could each day. She never had her head in the clouds dreaming, but she enjoyed and experienced life to it's absolute totality. She was a truly inspiring, strong, Southern woman, and I loved her story.
Rating: 
Summary: How many times can you say the word "said"?
Review: I listened to an unabridged audio version of this book. In every conversation between 2 people, the author found it necessary to use phrases "I said", "he said", "Hank said". I found this to be most irritating. Its very easy to follow a conversation between 2 people and to constantly add that type of phrase after each spoken sentence drove me nuts. I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone unless they really wanted to read something depressing. The descriptions were much more graphic than they needed to be, from her brother's death right through the hog killing.
Rating:
Summary: Another depressing book
Review: This book contains death, illness, unemployment, a flood, a fire, domestic abuse, more death, more illness, and physical hardships.This is the last Oprah recommended book I will ever read. All of her books focus on rape, abuse and women who have overcome a lifelong hardship or ordeal of some sort. Life has enough up-and-downs for us all. I feel no need to read any more of her depressing books. Although she seems to have sympathy for her characters, enough is enough!
Rating: 
Summary: This book was okay.
Review: This book was okay. It wasn't a "keeper" but it was good enough to pass along to a friend. There really weren't any memorable moments that would make me want to re-read it. Not a bad book, but not a great one, either. I've read better "Oprah Club" books.
Rating:
Summary: GAP CREEK and THE TRUEST PLEASURE
Review: I found this book to be one of the best I have ever read. I am now reading The Truest Pleasure. It is also by Robert Morgan. I plan on reading all his books. I love the way he writes. I have not been able to stop thinging about Julie and Hank. I felt like I knew them while reading the book. I am half way through The Truest Pleasure and can not forget Ginny and Hank. These are books that give you a great read.
Rating:
Summary: Like the Coal Miner's Daughter without all the singing.
Review: Hank and Julie are two people from a time and place where love is tough and living is even tougher. Julie reminds me of the movie, Coal Miner's Daughter without all the singing. Life is rough, and only the strong survive. After both her baby brother and father die, Julie is swept away by Hank, a tall good looking stranger on a horse. When he first used the word varmint, I knew I would be rating this book with five stars. The good news is it continues to be entertaining thru the end of the book.
Rating:
Summary: Life as it is on the mountain...
Review: Gap Creek is a wonderful novel that chronicles the life of a mountain woman and all the struggles, hardships and joy that she experiences. I found this story not to be particularly page-turning, but more of an easy-flowing journey. Gap Creek is truly a triumphant statement of the strength of women in an era when women were to be no more than mothers and housekeepers. Life still goes on in the Harmon household after the death of the youngest child, Masenier. For 17-year-old Julie, that means getting back to what she does best: chopping firewood and slaughtering hogs. This hard-working life seems to be all there is for Julie since she never has time to be a teenager. But that all changes one day when Hank Richards comes by to ask directions to a neighbor's house. Soon, Julie finds herself married to Hank and living far down the mountain in Gap Creek, South Carolina. Mountain life in her new home is much harder for Julie now that she's without her family. But Julie shows insurmountable strength and determination in every situation and struggle that comes her way. In Gap Creek, Robert Morgan has shown us another great literary character. Julie Harmon Richards embodies the true status of a mountain woman. Her perseverence is one quality that all of us can strive to achieve. This novel is well-written and heartfelt; however, it is explicit in some of its details (which can be good or bad depending on your outlook). Nonetheless, Robert Morgan deserves a big "Thank you" for creating such a memorable character and for writing such a believable and emotional story.
Rating:
Summary: I Hate To Read
Review: That's correct, the title of this says I hate to read. However, this summer I am forcing myself to do so while I'm on break from school. Gap Creek was the first book I chose to read, and I'm very glad that I did so. The book was very well written, and captured me from the beginning (I read it in less than 2 days). Since I was born, raised, and still live in rural Appalachia, it was nice to see a book that basically laid out what we're like, without being completely degrading. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes to read about "the good ole days." It is filled with endless examples of how hard life was, but only made me more thankful for what we have today. I also enjoyed the presence of the power of God and the church in the book, which has been a vital part of this country since its formation, that people seem to be forgetting about these days. All in all, it was a very good book.
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