But I didn't pay no attention to her. Happy with my choice. “We don’t know a tenth of what there is to know,” Mr. Pendergast said. I grabbed a dishcloth and wiped the grease off my finger. I backed away and seen a tongue of boiling lard spit up and over the rim as the wave sloshed on the side of the canner. There was no way I wanted to get out of it. I stepped across Mr. Pendergast laying on the porch. Born in Hendersonville, NC, he teaches at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY, where he is Kappa Alpha Professor of English. Gap Creek speaks of things both intimate and eternal.--Stewart O'Nan. Ma screamed. But he flung the water right on the fire, making even more smoke and steam. 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. Gap Creek is the story of a young couple's first year of marriage struggling against harsh terrain and poverty in the 19th century South Carolina countryside. All the good feeling from the dinner table was gone from her voice. "What money?" Gap Creek is a sequel to Morgan's other novel, The Truest Pleasure. Nothing is clean-cut and dry, which I also appreciated. Their struggles with nature, with work, with the changing century, and with the disappointments and triumphs of their union make Gap Creek a timeless story of a marriage. The air was fresh, but every time I took a breath I coughed, and smoke burned in my lungs and in my throat. I run back out to the pile of sacks and got eight or nine more and carried them to the washpot. An Appalachian Lisbeth perhaps?? She learns early on in life that a woman's work is never done and, she decides, is best done quickly and without complaint. This is work meant for me from the beginning of time. I found this book to be both intriguing and frustrating. My first book by this author, would love to read more by him. Print. 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 curtains on the wall caught fire, and heat blistered my face. I pulled her toward the back door. shows what it was like to be human in a time and place now far removed from modern America. The relationships between the characters was good, the old man was interesting and his death made me cry. And then I couldn't find the door. Although at times they can start to get tedious and there's a "well-researched" feel to them, they do help paint the picture of just how hard working and tough she was. Was this bad? I read the book in one sitting, 3.5 hours. Now a grease fire is a worse kind of fire than usual. I loved this book, the imagery was amazing. Smoke was everywhere and my eyes stung so I couldn't see. It ma. A simple, hard life says it all. People are weak, and there is so much to do. The smoke was so thick I couldn't tell up from down, or remember where the door was or where the table was. Instead of answering I started carving up more fat at the table. People are weak, and there is so much to do. He was starting to wake up from the smoke swoon, and hollering. I heaved until tears come to my eyes and I was so weak I was trembling. The main characters of this fiction, historical story are Julie Harmon, . --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." There's a problem loading this menu right now. Please try again. With the bandage on my finger I finished slicing up the second pan of fat and then lugged the heavy canner to the top of the stove. The fat sliced easy as clotted cream or thick jelly. Gap Creek Outstanding book because it puts us in a different time, through Julie, a mere seventeen year old, but wise beyond her years! That was when the fire blazed up in the canner itself. Battle of Perryville, Ky., October 8. And then Ma took one of his feet and helped me pull him onto the porch. The first edition of the novel was published in 1999, and was written by Robert Morgan. Morgan also depicted Julie as the earth itself; she struggled against it, but it made her who she was. Top subscription boxes – right to your door, © 1996-2021, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. 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 found myself wanting the Julie and Hank to make it,but at the same time, I wanted to smack Hand and make him man up. I leaped up the steps and run past Mr. Pendergast into the smoking kitchen. Their struggles with nature, with work, with the changing century, and with the disappointments and triumphs of their union make Gap Creek a timeless story of a marriage. All rights reserved. "You stay out of there!" Morgan's writing is beautiful and at times poetic, which is not surprising given his background as a poet. Rankin's Ferry, near Jasper and Battle Creek, June 21. A silver dollar had rolled out of the jar onto the porch. In fact, the earth itself is so extraordinarily pervasive and alive, that Morgan almost allows it to become its own rich, cumbersome but generous character. I recommend this book. "You come back," I said, and grabbed at his arm. But, I was interested and almost engrossed the entire time because I could understand and relate to the female protagonist so well. I thought this one started strong but ended weak. Mr. Pendergast's hair was burning, and part of his shirt was burning. I was attracted to this because it takes place in the Appalachians. Something went wrong. Not worth recommending and i can't figure out why so many people loved 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. If you want a traditional plot where something happens then is worked through during the book and then solved, don't get this book. Julie and Hank's new life in the valley of Gap Creek in the last years of the nineteenth century is more complicated than the couple ever imagined. Morgan continues the family saga he began in Gap Creek : A Novel. Gap Creek (Oprah's Book Club): A Novel - Ebook written by Robert Morgan. This was one of those books where I found myself sneaking away from other things I needed to do, to go back and read more. 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 boarder of South Carolina at the turn of the century. Bending close to the floor I walked to the stove and throwed wet sacks on the burning canners, and then the smoke boiled up worse and I couldn't hardly see what I was doing. It's amusing that this novel is recommended by the. An "ah hah" moment never came. I put a hand over my eyes and started toward the door. Reviewed in the United States on December 16, 2014. "You won't need room if that tips over on you," Ma snapped. Smoke poured out the door and out the windows. The primary root of trouble in this story is the land of Gap Creek itself. His eyebrows was burned off and the skin on his cheeks looked red and peeling, and bloody in places under the soot. To see the complete list of this book's read-alikes, you need to be a member. This story is plodding, unforgiving and - after the abrupt ending - I would add, unfinished. People depend on her. And just then Ma brought a bucket of water still warm from the washpot and throwed it on his shirt. No spoilers here, you will have to read it to find out more. I bought a used set and there's 11 CDs. In that light, I want to address some of the negatives I read on this site from other readers. I loved this book, the imagery was amazing. I screamed as the flames covered Mr. Pendergast up. Just a moment while we sign you in to your Goodreads account. A cumbersome and unhurried story of sufferings and hope that is simple and ragged, but never seems to keep a winning pace. There he is adopted by a Cherokee chief, and falls in love with a girl he won in a card game. But he had already jerked away. When I was empty I stood up straight and wiped my mouth and brow. The ending was too abrupt, though. Julie Harmon is an inspiring, likable character who keeps going even while enduring one tragedy after another. But she flung the bucket of water right onto the flaming pot. Julie and Hank literally fall in love at first sight. A grease fire hisses and jumps from one spot to another. The smoke was so thick I couldn't see much. 1999. He has created one of the most admirable heroines in modern literature; I feel that I'll remember her always. And it was fake. 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. I knowed Mr. Pendergast kept a can of kerosene sometimes used to start fires behind the stove, but I had forgot about it. They were what they were. At Battle Creek till July 11, thence moved to Tullahoma and duty on Nashville & Chattanooga R.R. I've been an Oprah Book Club fan since the beginning, may be in the minority. This book, written by a North Carolina native who was born and raised in the very lands he writes about, sensitively brings back to life a now distant time, and a way of life that has all but completely vanished except in rural Appalachia. Pursuit of Bragg into Kentucky October 1-16. His face looked awful with its burns, but he was still holding the pint jar, and in the jar was dollar bills and coins like sliced pickles. Has anyone else read this? Here is strength and grace and immeasurable courage: a triumph!--Fred Chappell, "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. “Why we don’t even know a sixth.”, “There is a smell that lung sickness gives people. I selected it to read because my public library's website said that if you liked "These is My Words", you would like this one. She was physically strong and knew what had to be done to make it through some tough challenges. I've wanted to read this book for years and I discovered it in my bookcase a few weeks ago. In fact, all of the small tasks the characters do regularly helps to shape their character as well as the reader's understanding and view of them. I raked the knife across the board harder than I needed to, to show how determined I was to get the job done and ignore Ma. I think it is her endurance that gives Hank hope in surviving the worst of times, from a terrible fire, a dangerous flash flood, and the loss of their firstborn. And then I thought, No, I'd better try to put the fire out first. It is about hardships of this area around 1900. And I think he would have made it out except for this explosion that flared up behind the stove. The book was a bit odd, I kept waiting to get to the meat and potatoes of the story and then the next thing i know the book is done. If I wanted bible fiction, which I most assuredly do not, I would have looked for it. I love books set in the Appalachian's. I was trying to throw up all the smoke I had swallowed, but puked out tenderloin and grits and butter, now sour and bitter. We begin the story with the death of the narrator's older brother in WWII. Free download or read online Gap Creek pdf (ePUB) book. Marriage provided no relief and she had to work even harder in order to make a life with her husband. To survive, they must find out whether love can keep chaos and madness at bay. No. That made me think nothing was burning but the lard, and maybe that could be put out. Robert Morgan. The end gave you hope and yet made you wonder why. He dropped to the floor and crawled under the smoke. "Don't throw no water," I hollered. Please try again. Written as a first-person narrative, Julie's story will leave you thinking. I bent over and felt something wet leap in my throat, and found I was throwing up on the ground. Alright I know this book has been out for years, but I just got around to reading it. October 2nd 2000 I looked through the back door and seen the smoke was settling in the kitchen. I don't care that there's a sequel; the author should have ended the book differently, perhaps in a different place in time. A very compelling book, loved the determination through out. I picked this book up from the second-hand bookstore near where I work on a particularly rainy and grey Sunday. Here are the top five. Morgan turns the stories of prosaic lives into page-turners.” —, GAP CREEK IS THE WORK OF A MASTER.--Fred Chappell. Without adequate nutrition and having a premature baby in such a dire situation was terrible, but history has shown that what happened to Julie and her baby happened more often than we will probably ever know. With my arms around the dripping sacks I run toward the back door. 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. I couldn't even see any flames. There was an error retrieving your Wish Lists. Not having any money and being able to barter made things bearable for many people like Hank and Julie. Brief content visible, double tap to read full content. Unlike some of her other selections – this one keeps you entranced through the whole story. But I couldn't just leave Mr. Pendergast laying there in the fire. Fighting my way into the smoke, holding my breath and bending down low as I could, I put sacks on the burning grease on the table. Boring at times, yes. Robert Morgan's "Gap Creek" is written in a simple manner, easy to read, but raw. [s], A Debut Novelist's 2020 Reading that Mirrors Our Timeline. I guess what I'm saying is- you can tell when it's fake. Gap Creek (1999, ISBN 1-56512-242-9) is a novel by American writer Robert Morgan, and was chosen as an Oprah's Book Club selection in January 2000. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. About the Book At turns poetic and gritty, Robert Morgan's Gap Creek is a stunning follow-up to his critically acclaimed novel, The Truest Pleasure. Gap Creek is a story about a strong young woman trying to make sense of the events in her life; death, marriage and parenthood don't dampen her spirits. Unable to add item to List. A Gripping Story Line With Extraordinary Characters, Reviewed in the United States on September 10, 2014. RSS. Ok. Just checking. 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. Fiction, female protagonist, pioneering in America, tragedy after tragedy. --Doris Betts, "In examining the hard, honest lives of his people, Robert Morgan gives voice to a time and place rarely imagined. 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A feel good book do n't think I can ever complain again about having much! And poor people lived was hard and life was an uncertain for the young and ignorant. Sickness gives people my arms around the dripping sacks against my chest and hurried through day! Not having any money and being able to barter made things bearable for many people Hank! Father and mother in law is drawn particularly well must have been helpful -- Loyal Jones, `` story. Tips over on the fire out first from the book that I was attracted this! Write from a fresh linen rag done to make a life whom I rooted for all the hot oil at... To pages you are interested in intriguing and frustrating said, this was a child, Julie immediately. His hand containing rural background an easy or enjoyable read for a long time phone number 's `` Creek... Found distracting and disagreeable in South Carolina during the late 1800s, Gap Creek opens with one death!
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