More Reviews for In This Valley I Grew Review

Review Nov. 9, 2005
IN THIS VALLEY I GREW
Life on Backlog and Happy Hollow
by Mary Ellen Goble Preece
This is a delightful account of an Appalachian family as recalled by the author, Mary Ellen Goble Preece. Set predominately in the fifties she tells of a simple but proud lifestyle. One that endures hard times and in spite of the harsh realities of life, survives by shear determination, hard work and the grace of God. It is sprinkled with good, down home philosophies, stories of heartache, love, and laughter. If you have ever enjoyed such treats as homemade cornbread and fresh churned buttermilk, this will bring back pleasant memories of yesteryear. If you are a child of the current modern society, you will learn just how blessed you are to enjoy today’s modern conveniences. You will learn about making everything from scratch. How to preserve enough food for your family and some extra for a neighbor in need. Making “sugar sweetened French Toast” and “Black Walnut Fudge”; About bitter cold winters with only minimal sustenance and wonderful summers spent roaming the hollow with relatives and friends. Most of all you will have the unique privilege of glimpsing into the heart and soul of the author, her beautiful family, and sharing her true source of strength, an unfailing faith in God.
B. Davis Greer,
Author of "The Pegasus Affair"
ISBN: 1-4137-8817-3
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Oct. 22, 2005
Review of In This Valley I Grew by Mary Ellen Preece In This Valley I Grew, by Mary Ellen Goble Preece, is the heartwarming epoch of an Appalachian family––its early beginnings and present realities––related at times in the style and dialect of this mountainous region. The author is an educated woman in the sense that she knows what it is to be “poor in spirit” and remain rich in spiritual and cultural values she can pass along to her children and grandchildren. With a remarkable memory and insight, she tells the stories of the men and women, mothers and fathers, artisans, friends, relatives, teachers and workers she grew up with. She describes their beliefs, how they dressed, (and there are photographs as well to show what they looked like), how they acted, where they lived, worshipped, and how they spoke––down to the last detail. She describes the food they ate, how they prepared it, and even the childhood goodies, or the candy, by name, taste and wrapper. In many ways, it would seem that such a life in the valley, although hard at times, would still have been peaceful and serene enough to help develop her depth and degree of memories. As a reader born and raised in the South by parents who experienced the hardships of World War II, I could relate to many of the people and experiences she wrote of in such a charming way. I was most impressed by the teachers who molded the students’ minds and held spelling bees and by other means educated their students. The author has benefited from this experience by having developed over the years a deep desire to write and tell her stories, which may never be known, she believes, unless she reveals them. She describes equally well how times are changing for the valley she grew up in––the gains and losses of “progress.” For all who enjoy reading stories and the histories of people who live in every area of America, I recommend this book as a wonderful tribute to the Appalachian American people.

Joyce Ann Edmondson author of
"The Listening Tree"
"Falling Petals"