322 pages (print edition), 101,580 words, Appalachian biographical novel, Mountain family life, Historical & Contemporary literary fiction, Appalachian cultural heritage,
Aunt Pearl and her stepmother recall the story of Peggy€s father€s family.
From Chapter 1: €œPearl,€ Momma tried to make her voice strong. €œI aim to whip you for what you done.€ Those words struck me hard. Why was she saying a thing like that to me? €œI saved you from those dogs,€ I said triumphantly as I looked down at Momma€s bleeding legs. Surely she knew what would have happened to her if it hadn€t been for me. €œYou disobeyed me. You know better than to disobey me.€ Her words troubled me something awful, and I shivered with dread as tried to think of a way to make her appreciate what I€d done. I didn€t deserve a whipping for saving her life.
From Chapter 23: I had what few things I owned in a fed sack when Frank came in the door. €œThem€s my hogs,€ I told him. €œI€ll cross the hill twice a day to feed €˜em. Don€t you dare do anything with €˜em.€ €œWhat are you talkin€ about.€ €œYour precious ma said she€d get Ralph€s shotgun and kill me if I didn€t get out of her house.€ €œNo way,€ Frank said. €œAsk her yourself,€ I told him. I heard the sound of Effie moving her wheelchair over the floor. €œFrank, honey. I said no sech a thing. You know what a liar she is.€ I lifted my chin and glared at Frank. I needed to see whose side he was going to take.€ €œCalm down,€ he told me. €œI€ll put Ma in bed so we can talk.€ Those weren€t the words I needed to hear. €œOh, Frankie,€ Effie moaned. €œWhat are we gonna do with her?€ Frank didn€t answer as he took hold of the chair. I slung the sack over my shoulder and left the house. The least I could do was see if Lizzie would welcome me for a few days or not.
From the Epilogue: I saw the tiredness come to Aunt Pearl€s face and didn€t ask her any more questions. I€d been told hundreds of stories by dozens of family members as well as non-family members. Aunt Pearl was right. My favorite words when I was growing up were, €œTell me a story.€ Most everyone willingly obliged. Some people would be slow getting started, but once they got their story telling ability warmed up, they would hold me captive for hours. Pearl€s story has taken me many years to write. Pearl died less than a year after I€d gone to see her with my trusty tape recorder in hand. Much to my regret, she told me what was true. I€d waited a little too long to tape her stories, but I could still replay those stories in my head. Most of the stories I remember came from Lizzie. Once she started talking she continued talking even when there was no one left in the room to listen. I€ve done my best to connect some of the stories I€ve been told together in order to make this book possible. These stories hold a lot of truth, but I want the readers to realize that I€ve taken an author€s liberty in order to fit each story together into what I hope to be both entertaining and insightful. Therefore, I€ve written this book as fiction. There€s no way I could possibly know what people were thinking long before I was born. No way I can second-guess exactly what happened and why it happened, no way I can claim this book to be non-fiction although it is based on real happenings. I hope Pearl€s story touches your heart the way all those stories touched mine. One thing was for certain. Being a mountain woman amounted to having a hard life back then. Pearl was indeed one of the most wonderful, and courageous women I had the honor of knowing. I€m proud to have her fiery bloodline flowing in my veins.