Julie Harmon is an inspiring, likable character who keeps going even while enduring one tragedy after another. Morgan has said that he struggled to find her voice, but I think it's clear that he did find it because she is realistic and memorable. Morgan's writing is beautiful and at times poetic, which is not surprising given his background as a poet. The scene with Julie, her father, and brother in the woods at night is amazingly well done, especially Julie's realization that the natural world can be strikingly beautiful even as something awful is happening. The character of Hank is interesting and I got a pretty good sense of him, but I wish we had understood a bit more of his true personality and where he was coming from. The scenes with his mother give us some insight, but more might have been helpful. While the religious parts in the second half of the book didn't bother me at all, Julie's interest in religion seemed to come out of nowhere to some extent, even though it's maybe hinted at in the beginning of the book. There are a lot of lengthy descriptions of Julie's hard work throughout the book. Although at times they can start to get tedious and there's a "well-researched" feel to them, they do help paint the picture of just how hard working and tough she was. In any event, despite some minor issues, I loved Morgan's descriptions and imagery and I came away really impressed with this book.

Well, that was depressing... Julie has a hard life, and in this book, it only gets harder. Really. Nothing. Ever. Gets. Better.

I loved this book. I selected it to read because my public library's website said that if you liked "These is My Words", you would like this one. However, between requesting it from there and starting it, I read some Goodreads reviews and thought, ugh, I picked a bummer. Not so! In that light, I want to address some of the negatives I read on this site from other readers.

This book is, indeed, written by a man. And it is told from a young woman's perspective. But I found the author to be extremely insightful, and I'm sure if he had used a woman's penname I would never have guessed his gender. Not only does he grasp what it is to be a woman, he has the naïveté of what it is to be a newlywed, young woman, down pat. He also understands how women perceive men, and how the actions of a husband affect a wife. And he showed insight into how one grows in the beginning of marriage. So, as far as I am concerned, the author's gender is not a problem.

Another issue I noticed in several reviews is that some readers feel this book is depressing. Now this is going to sound harsh, but it's how I feel. Either they are reading from an unsophisticated, naive or very young perspective, or they read the Cliffs Notes version and didn't get everything out of it they should have. Yes, the main character in this novel faces some terrible times. That's life, and it was certainly how life was during the 19th century for the average working person in the mountains of America. People on farms then, and similarly now, dealt with death on sometimes a daily basis, at least in some form. And at that time, illness was terrible and people died from things that don't kill normally healthy people now. What apparently was lost on these readers is the strength and perseverance of the main character, Julie. Julie is a powerhouse of courage and hope. She gets handed lemons in life, and she makes lemonade every time, even when she doesn't feel like it. She delights in the small joys of life - such as the blueness of the summer sky and frost on morning grass, and birds in the trees. When she reaches that point that a trial is over, she feels cleansed or strengthened. And no matter what happens or how bad things get, she never gives up, and always clings to hope - whether for herself or for someone she loves. And the book ends with that very sentiment - hope.

The last of the concerns expressed by other readers I want to address was the graphic details of some of the events, such as a hog killing and butchering. I did not feel it was indulgent. It was graphic, but why wouldn't it be? I'm not sure hog butchering is something you can effectively sugarcoat. And I doubt that the average reader would grasp what a chore it is for a woman to help with hog killing and butchering without some details. Like other events in the book, it's explained in a manner that makes the reader understand it, and in a way that I think a woman who had to go through it might actually explain it.

I'll wrap up by saying one of the things I loved about this book is that it is not terribly romantic, at least in the traditional sense. I don't like books (or movies for that matter) that are fluff. Real life is about people hanging onto each other and relationships through what is described in wedding vows - for better or for worse, in sickness and in health. Julie falls in love with her husband just like so many women do. He is physically attractive to her, he appears to be strong in character, and he appears to be ready to do anything in the world to make her happy. But when he disappoints her, and when life is rough, and that "sickness" and "worse" come into play, they learn how to hang onto each other, and how to make a life together - in spite of differences and difficulties. If you need fluff to make you happy, this book is not for you.

Alright I know this book has been out for years, but I just got around to reading it. I was looking for something to occupy some time over winter break and this seemed to meet my requirement--just about 300 pages. More than that and I admit it, I get distracted! Happy with my choice. This was one of those books where I found myself sneaking away from other things I needed to do, to go back and read more. I guess I found out that I enjoy this type of historical fiction more than I realized. It makes sense, since as a young girl I was ALL about Little House on the Prairie (yes the books, not the tv show). I was captivated by this strong woman (actually, a girl, 17 yrs old) who basically did what she had to do to survive. She was physically strong and knew what had to be done to make it through some tough challenges. I was also intrigued that a male writer crafted this female protagonist and did NOT resort to having her depend on the men in her life. That was pretty cool. An Appalachian Lisbeth perhaps?? No spoilers here, you will have to read it to find out more.

Forgot to update as I was reading this. A very compelling book, loved the determination through out. Is there a follow up to this book? My first book by this author, would love to read more by him.

This short excerpt is taken from my full review on Into the Hall of Books. Read more here: http://www.intothehallofbooks.com/201...


There are no words that I can use to adequately describe to anyone how much I truly love this book. It's not only the story itself, nor just the author, but the time and the place. Robert Morgan is from the area that he has written about in this story and it is obvious in reading his work; there is an ease with his setting and a comfort as well. He has written an honest depiction of this time and the struggles that it carried as well as the day-to-day activities of living back during this time in our history, which I love. He is able to write from a young female perspective in a shockingly easy way and I love how he wrote Julie Richards. I recommend Gap Creek to fans of historical fiction, fans of American history, fans of the Appalachian region, fans of doggone good books, and fans of great, incredible, wonderful characterization. This book isn't unicorns and rainbows all the way through but neither was this time in American history - however the hopeful ending is wonderful and I hope adult fiction readers will pick it up and give it an honest chance.

this is a horrible book the man who wrote it is so sexist and classist I cannot believe anyone would read this utter filth I could tell what was going to happen from the very begining it was so bad I could not finish it it is the worst if they would let me I would give this peice of trip the zero stars it deserves

I loved the descriptions of everything and how tenacious Julie was, her husband was such a whiner in the beginning though it was enough for me to deduct a star. She should have left him.

4.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

This is Appalachian literature at its best. Robert Morgan gets the language. He gets the grit and determination of hill people. He gets the love of a spouse who is willing to forgive the worst. He gets the time these people lived. He just gets it and it’s unfortunate so many people who read this book didn’t. I’m so glad I finally got around to reading this one.

I added this book to my to read list when it was recommended by a woman I met on a plane. She said it was the best book she ever read.

I listened to this book. The dialog was repetitive. The plot was depressing. I don't recommend it.

Quite interesting.

This book, written by a North Carolina native who was born and raised in the very lands he writes about, sensitively brings back to life a now distant time, and a way of life that has all but completely vanished except in rural Appalachia. It reminds those of us sitting comfortably in our easy chairs, sipping lattes, and reading books how difficult life once was just a century ago. Set in the Blue Ridge mountains, along the border of North and South Carolina, it is the story of a poor, young, newlywed couple's hardships and struggles during their first year of marriage while living in Gap Creek, South Carolina. Relentless hardship causes them both to grow up in a very short period of time. Written as a first-person narrative, Julie's story will leave you thinking.