Chinaberry

CHINABERRY Manuscript by James Still and Edited by Silas House

• Hardcover: 172 pages
• Publisher: The University Press of Kentucky
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0813133726
• ISBN-13: 978-0813133720

From Publishers Weekly:

A classic story of adolescence by the late Still (1906–2001; River of Earth) pursues migrant workers from Alabama to an East Texas ranch. The 13-year-old narrator has accompanied his father's friend, Ernest, and two young men to Texas looking for work; the barefoot boy is small for his age, and as they pass through an East Texas town, he attracts the attention of a wealthy farmer, Anson Winters, who invites the four of them back to his Chinaberry ranch to stay and work for the summer. Anson lost his son several years before and has not gotten over it; also a widower, he has remarried the lovely Lurie, though in three years of marriage they still have no children of their own. The narrator is installed in Anson and Lurie's bedroom and otherwise spoiled, evidence of Anson's transference of affection to the boy, while Lurie intimates that she and the boy are mere substitutes. The reader is never quite certain where Still is leading—editor House wonders about this in his helpful intro—which leaves a heavy feeling of unfinished-ness about the project, but there are small nostalgic pleasures to be found in reading this simple story of Americana, directly told.

James Still (1906-2001) was and remains a Kentucky icon, also known as the “Heart of Appalachian literature.” Still left a legacy for the coming generations with his rich collections of novels, short stories and poetry. He also left a mysterious manuscript in an older leather briefcase. Still's literary advisers and adopted daughter, Teresa Reynolds, wanted to see this book published, so they asked Silas House to edit the manuscript.

Although Chinaberry is a slim book, it takes us on the journey of a 13-year-old boy, who leaves Alabama and his family to spend a summer picking cotton in Texas. Many people think this young boy was actually Still reliving three months of his life, but this question remains unanswered.

House tried to stay as authentic as possible to Still’s manuscript by providing transitional sentences. He also rearranged the chapters to make them flow with consistency. House did an amazing job in taking on this difficult challenge.
Without giving away too much of the story, the main relationship is between the boy, who goes to Texas and the Chinaberry ranch's owner, Anson Winters and his second wife, Lurie. Anson virtually adopts the boy, treating him as a replacement for the young, handicapped son whose death he still grieves.

This book ranks up highly with Still’s best written book, River of Earth, published in 1940. Chinaberry is the best book I have read this year and I hope everyone will be able to see two masters at work.

Eli the Good

Eli the Good by Silas House

Reading level: Young Adult
Hardcover: 304 pages
Publisher: Candlewick
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0763643416
ISBN-13: 978-0763643416

Bicentennial fireworks burn the sky. Bob Seger growls from a transistor radio. And down by the river, girls line up on lawn chairs in pursuit of the perfect tan. Yet for ten-year-old Eli Book, the summer of 1976 is the one that threatened to tear his family apart. There is his distant mother; his traumatized Vietnam vet dad; his wild sister; his former war protester aunt; and his tough yet troubled best friend, Edie, the only person with whom he can be himself. As tempers flare and his father’s nightmares rage, Eli watches from the sidelines, but soon even he cannot escape the current of conflict. From Silas House comes a tender look at the complexities of childhood and the realities of war — a quintessentially Southern novel filled with music, nostalgic detail, a deep respect for nature, and a powerful sense of place.

Silas House is the bestselling Kentucky author of CLAY'S QUILT, PARCHMENT OF LEAVES and THE COAL TATTOO - all centering around several generations of the same family growing up in the hills of Eastern Kentucky. With this book, Silas tries his hand a writing for young adults and he has ended up with an endearing look at a slice of life from the summer of 1976.

Eli Book is a ten year old boy, living like most children of the 1970s - riding his bicycle all over town, splashing in the town creek and enjoying hot summer days with his best friend Edie. This is really the coming of age story of how Eli deals with the overwhelming situations of strife in his young life.

Eli has undying love for his parents, Loretta and Stanton Book, but his growing curiosity of the secrets they both carry is threatening to eat him alive. Eli feels jealousy of his mother's unconditional love for his father - he wants to be the number one love of her life. Eli is filled with uncertainty and longing to understand his father's past as a Vietnam veteran and the nightmares that consume his dreams.

There is also underlying tension from Eli's sister, Josie, as she comes to grips with the fact that her mother was pregnant with her before Loretta and Stanton were married - she is not Stanton's biological daughter, but he has raised her as such. Then there is Stanton's way-ward, wildflower of a sister, Nell, who comes to live with the family for the summer. Stanton has unresolved feelings for his little sister because he feels betrayed that she was a war protester.

And then there is Edie, the sweet little girl from next door who has been Eli's best friend and confidante. Their friendship is pure and an accurate portrayal of childhood innocence of past decades. But she has family problems of her own and leans on Eli's family as her support system.

This is a book full of emotion and House's stylized lyrical prose. The words drip off the page and you want to lap them up, savoring every last drop and flavor. He has successfully written a compelling story that will not only capture the hearts of the intended young adult audience, but will hold an equal place in the hearts of adults. This is a must-read for anyone who enjoys a great story and is destined to become a classic.

Something's Rising

Something's Rising : Appalachians Fighting Mountaintop Removal by Silas House and Jason Howard

Hardcover: 320 pages
Publisher: University Press of Kentucky
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0813125464
ISBN-13: 978-0813125466

Being a huge fan of House’s work, I bought this book at the lecture series “Evening With the Mountainkeepers.” Not only was I able to meet House and get him to autograph my book, I was privileged to hear him read an excerpt from this important books.

Mountaintop coal removal is a controversial topic, especially in Appalachia. On one hand, the practice supplies much needed jobs for the residents of mining towns; on the other, this practice destroys natural wildlife habitats, leaving deep scars upon the land.

This book contains the personal stories of 13 residents of the Appalachian region and gives you a representation of their views and opinions. I think this is an important book, not only for the understanding of mountaintop removal, but also for learning about the cultures of Appalachia.

The Coal Tattoo

The very talented Silas House continues his long love letter to Kentucky in this starkly beautiful, third novel, following Clay's Quilt (2000) and A Parchment of Leaves (2002). Although it follows characters created in his previous novels it is not a sequel. These are all stand-alone books that a person can enjoy reading in any order.

In coal country, when a miner survives the collapse of a mine, he'll often surface with a permanent mark stamped onto his skin--a greenish blue imprint, sometimes jagged-edge, sometimes smooth--a symbol of endurance and sacrifice. A coal tattoo. In Silas House's new novel, everyone who's raised in Black Banks is indelibly marked by and forever connected to the place, which is how it is for Anneth and Easter. At the heart of The Coal Tattoo is the story of these two sisters who can't live together, but can't bear to be apart. Left to raise themselves in a small coal mining town in Tennessee, Anneth and Easter are as different as night and day.

The two sisters can't stand to live together, but can't bear to be apart. One worships the flashy world of Nashville, the other is a devout Pentecostal. One falls into the lap of any man, the other is afraid to even date. One gets pregnant in a flash, the other desperately wants to have child. This is what's at the heart of Silas House's third, masterful novel, which tells the story of Easter and Anneth, tragically left parentless as children, who must raise themselves and each other in their small coal-mining town. Easter is deeply religious, keeps a good home, believes in tradition, and is intent on rearing her wild younger sister properly. Anneth is untamable, full of passion, determined to live hard and fast. It's only a matter of time before their predilections split their paths and nearly undo their bond. How these two women learn to overcome their past, sacrifice deeply for each other, and live together again in the only place that matters is the story of The Coal Tattoo.

As with the previous two books, The Coal Tattoo is beautifully written, describing in detail the backdrop of the mining town of Free Creek and the surrounding areas. The beauty of these three books is not just in the description of the mountains and the land, but of the simple life that the characters live. Silas House has a way with words, and the novels evoke memories of a time long gone. It brings to one a feeling of nostalgia.

I highly recommend The Coal Tattoo, as well as Clay's Quilt and A Parchment of Leaves, to anyone who loves reading the deep, rich words that come from the Appalachian region of Kentucky. Silas House is a true Kentuckian with a nack for prose that elevates him to one of the literary greats of our time