dreamofbookspines's review against another edition
A creepy sad book about a dying Appalachia town. Great characters and mystery.
grazanne's review
5.0
Caveat: this took me forever to read and awhile to get into once I started. However, after I finished Where the Crawdads Sing, I was in the right frame of mind to pick it up. It is a mix between the above mentioned and Ordinary Grace. If you liked either of those, I would guess you like this one. Although it is less mystery than WTCS and OG, but has as much or mor sense of place and time. If you are looking for a plot driven book, keep looking as the author spends her time making you feel you are in a forgotten piece of Tennessee in the 1930s.
The Tennessee River Valley has determined they will dam “Long Man”, a river which will flood a small town of Yuneetah. Those living there are forced to sell their land and move elsewhere. There is a lone holdout family, Annie Clyde & James Dobson. When their 3 year old daughter, Gracie, goes missing days before the lake floods their farm and the town.
Can they find the girl in time? Was she taken by a drifter that mysteriously shows back up in town after a long absence, or does Annie Clyde’s recluse Aunt know more than she is telling?
The Tennessee River Valley has determined they will dam “Long Man”, a river which will flood a small town of Yuneetah. Those living there are forced to sell their land and move elsewhere. There is a lone holdout family, Annie Clyde & James Dobson. When their 3 year old daughter, Gracie, goes missing days before the lake floods their farm and the town.
Can they find the girl in time? Was she taken by a drifter that mysteriously shows back up in town after a long absence, or does Annie Clyde’s recluse Aunt know more than she is telling?
mrscraftalot's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
cook_memorial_public_library's review
4.0
Amy Greene has lived all her life in East Tennessee Smoky Mountains and says that “there is an intimacy with the landscape that comes from living here.” She captures the language, expressions, aching beauty and hardscrabble life of families that have lived on the mountaintop for generations.
I’ve always felt that character is what I look for in novels but I think setting is just as important for me. A dramatic setting that informs the unique Appalachian culture and the people who want to live and die there can tell a multitude of stories.
The prospect of change, even electricity which will bring jobs, is threatening to the farms and heritage of the tight-knit community. In Greene’s second book, Long Man, she draws from real events that happened in the summer of 1936, when a government-built dam is going to flood an Appalachian town and a girl disappears.
--Reviewed by Connie
Check our catalog: http://encore.cooklib.org/iii/encore/search/C__Slong%20man%20greene__Orightresult__U?lang=eng&suite=pearl
I’ve always felt that character is what I look for in novels but I think setting is just as important for me. A dramatic setting that informs the unique Appalachian culture and the people who want to live and die there can tell a multitude of stories.
The prospect of change, even electricity which will bring jobs, is threatening to the farms and heritage of the tight-knit community. In Greene’s second book, Long Man, she draws from real events that happened in the summer of 1936, when a government-built dam is going to flood an Appalachian town and a girl disappears.
--Reviewed by Connie
Check our catalog: http://encore.cooklib.org/iii/encore/search/C__Slong%20man%20greene__Orightresult__U?lang=eng&suite=pearl
klherring's review against another edition
3.0
Imagine that Thomas Hardy decided to write a book similar to "Of Mice and Men".... I really enjoy Greene's writing style and historical context, but for some reason had a hard time connecting to this book. It really dragged on for me and felt much longer than it was. It was the first book on my digital loan that I cut close on my 14 day limit....
jrobinw's review
4.0
This is a beautifully written story. It really captures how hard Appalachian families had it. There were times it was so sad I had to take a break to read something else.
cats22's review against another edition
4.0
A quiet, thoughtful story. Read this one slowly when you have time to digest it.
bookwormmama's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
lisagray68's review against another edition
2.0
I read another fiction book about the TVA that I liked better but I can’t find it now - I thought it was by Ron Rash? But maybe not. Fascinating topic but for some reason I did not like this book - but I think it had to do with formatting. Long, dense chapters with small type.