Yesterday, after a necessary trip to the recycling center, the P.O., and the grocery, I came home and frivoled. I lay on the sofa by the fire and read Ron Rash's The World Made Straight -- a book that's been awaiting me for months.
It's beautifully written, as are all of RR's books, but, for me, the bonus is that it's set right here in Madison County -- and the names and the settings and the people are oh so familiar.
So familiar that I'm very glad I finished Birdie's book already. Rash's Travis and Dena bear a whole lot of similarity to my Calven and Prin. But then, we are writing about the same place, even if I call it Marshall County.
Possibly my favorite supporting character is the cold-bloodedly vicious Carlton Toomey -- the marijuana grower and drug dealer who puts on an ignorant hillbilly act when talking with the big-city drug dealers, but can actually speak Standard English and enjoys doing crossword puzzles. Oh, and he sings gospel with an angel's voice.
Toomey is a pretty horrible person but he's a fine example of the fact that few people are completely good or completely bad.
It's beautifully written, as are all of RR's books, but, for me, the bonus is that it's set right here in Madison County -- and the names and the settings and the people are oh so familiar.
So familiar that I'm very glad I finished Birdie's book already. Rash's Travis and Dena bear a whole lot of similarity to my Calven and Prin. But then, we are writing about the same place, even if I call it Marshall County.
Possibly my favorite supporting character is the cold-bloodedly vicious Carlton Toomey -- the marijuana grower and drug dealer who puts on an ignorant hillbilly act when talking with the big-city drug dealers, but can actually speak Standard English and enjoys doing crossword puzzles. Oh, and he sings gospel with an angel's voice.
Toomey is a pretty horrible person but he's a fine example of the fact that few people are completely good or completely bad.
The historical fact of the Shelton Laurel Massacre plays a major part in this story. Our county gained the title Bloody Madison during the Civil War mainly because people's sympathies were divided. The mountain folk, for the most part, were not slave holders and, seeing the war as a rich man's war, wanted no part of it. No matter -- when NC declared for the South, many were conscripted, others hid out, thus setting the stage for a neighbor against neighbor, even brother against brother struggle.
And as Rash's book points out, memory lingers.
No comments:
Post a Comment