depressing AF, and Julie could have done better than marrying the first man that looked at her. ugh.

A fairly easy read but I was very annoyed with Julie, she was so naive and foolish I wanted to give her a good shake, and it was just getting a bit more interesting then it ended. OK but not the best of its kind.

This was a high school read since it took place in NC. I hated it then, Amd reflection has not improved my opinion. There was a bit of the “Precious based on the novel Push, by sapphire” schtick to it. Everything weird and gross and difficult that could happen did and I’m just over that stuff. I mean, I get it, poor white Appalachian dwellers also had it hard. I just don’t care.

And the sex from a woman’s point of view, written by a man, was all too eye roll worthy. I’ll never forget him referring to her first orgasm as “the sweetest little kerchoo” from her middle. No thank you.

I know that not all stories are supposed to have a happily ever after but this was exhausting with grief and hardships. Some people have it bad and some have it even worse and I am grateful for what I have and that I do not have to live with such heartache. This was a hard read but a good read

I rated this 5 stars because of the way it was written and the twists in this couple's story. But if I have to rate the characters in this novel, I would definitely rate Julie 4.5 stars and her husband Hank only 1 star. This couple is two different souls who just hurriedly tied the knot without even has the slightest idea about each other. Hank was just strong in physique but not on the inside because of how he easily snap and breakdown during problems.

I know that other reviews on this book were not that good but for me, I enjoyed reading it. It showed us that marriage is not pure bliss and that couples must be headstrong and should help each other in times of struggles. And before I could forget, I was really amazed that a man written this because of how he portrayed women/wives stronger than them, guys.

Actually, did not finish. I got about 13% in and I just couldn't read anymore. It's in the first person, with grammar/language the way a back woods girl might have had. So that in and of itself was getting tiring. It starts out with the girl's little brother dying from some gruesome parasitic worms... absolutely disgusting. Then the dad dies from tuberculosis (pretty sure that's what "lung disease" he had). She meets her future husband and their kiss is a bit descriptive and so idk, got to thinking what if it goes in more detail after they're married

This book and I have some history. It's the kind of cover and premise that would have attracted me since I was just little. I sought it out again recently because Jess Sowards (from Roots and Refuge) had recommended it, knowing that I had at one point bought it and given it away before finishing it, but not really remembering why.

I'm glad I didn't read more than the first chapter when I started it at 17 years old. I think I was horrified by the way Julie's little brother died and didn't think I could handle the rest. Reading it now, as a 24-year-old wife of only a year, this story touched me in a much deeper way than it would have at that age.

***(There are also important elements of the story that rest on Julie and Hank's relationship as a married couple, which includes some semi-explicit -- my opinion -- bedroom scenes. I am glad I did not read these before getting married.)***

Normally I don't love stories written by men from a woman's perspective, but this one holds out. Julie is the narrator of the story and I found her perspective on life so refreshing from a female protagonist. Her life has held so much sorrow but she isn't a sort of Cinderella or a martyr about it. I was inspired by her pluckiness and resourcefulness in holding so much responsibility, especially in feeding her family. Since I love food history and preservation so much, I dearly loved the descriptions of her canning, foraging, and making use of what she found.

There are a lot of "just when you think it can't get any worse" moments in Gap Creek, but while it did make me cry, I never felt drug down. I guess that's because the sun always kept coming up and Julie and Hank always manage to return to their love or one another.

I was mildly bothered by the way Hank treats Julie sometimes, but I thought it very realistic of the way someone like him would be. Everything that bothered me about this book, I knew it was right that it bothered me. And I don't have much time for a book that doesn't bother me at all.

It's the kind of book that comes to life off the page, makes you think about the world differently, causes you to look hard at your life, and then sticks with you a long time, like an earthy aftertaste of strong herbal tea. I listened to it on audio and it was very well done, but I am going to hunt down another copy to hold in my hands again, because a book this precious is something I will need to revisit.

I finished this book several days ago and I'm still thinking about it. That, to me, is the mark of a great story. I had to keep reminding myself that Julie, the main character, was only 17 years old. The time of her life that we get to see is inspiring and heart breaking.

Oh, this book…I like and loathe it at the same time. Julie is to be admired. Hank really, really…ugh! At times, I like him; other times, I despise him. Yes, just like the book itself!

“Don’t you worry…Worry never made anybody live a second longer” (44).

“When you have a filthy job the only thing to do is jump in and get it done. Won’t hurt your hands to get dirty; you can always wash them” (60).

“‘Everybody looks younger in death…I wonder why…’ ‘Because they have stopped worrying…All the grief goes out of them, if they went to heaven’” (113).

Julie is precious. Here is part of her heartfelt prayer: “Life with Hank is going to be hard, as everybody’s life is hard. Give me the strength to face the pain, and to eat the pain like bread. And give me the sense to know joy and to accept joy. For I know I’m weak and can’t sustain myself alone. Teach me to accept what is give to me” (247). That last line, Lord, have mercy, that needs to be my prayer, too!

“In the worst times there is, you can only get through with the support of other people” (250).

“The world wouldn’t have lasted this long if women didn’t help each other” (257).

“The world would be a better place if people helped each other more” (257).

In the midst of unbelievable pain, Julie feels, “The only sweetness in the world I could think of was that Jesus might be looking down on me with love and concern. There was nobody else to see me in my misery. There was nobody else to help me through. ‘Please, Jesus…show me some mercy’” (283).

I enjoyed reading this story. Life in the Appalachian mountains for the very poor at the turn of the century (1899 0 1900) is almost unimaginable. This is a story about a young couple in the first year of their marriage. Their struggle to survive and make it to the next day is quite vividly told. While I find the story depressing, I couldn't stop reading it either..

I've been an Oprah Book Club fan since the beginning, may be in the minority. I thought this book was great, simple but raw. I love books set in the Appalachian's. My first book by Robert Morgan, I like his style of writing. Look forward to more fm this author!

This is an Oprah's Book Club selection by a prize winning author, which usually equates to the Midas Touch of Literature. However, it didn't ring true for me. Perhaps it was because it was a man writing a female character. It reminded me a great deal of someone writing about the sea who had never seen it or smelled it or touched it. The main character, Julie, came across as an abstract, conceptual woman rather than a real one.

There were whole passages in the book I started to skim because they screamed, "I have a degree in literature! Look at my beautiful prose that could have been summed up with small words in two sentences!" A lot of the dialog fell flat for me and I didn't feel like each character had their own voice.

I did like the detail and accuracy paid to the day-to-day life of the time period, from hog killing to housekeeping. That rang true for me, while most of the novel did not. I know a great many people loved this book, but sadly, I found it lacking.