MIST OVER THE MOUNTAINS: Appalachia and its People

by Raymond Bial ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 1, 1997

A superb photoessay from Bial (With Needle and Thread, 1996, etc.), documenting a pocket of American life and history that exemplifies enduring values of hard work, self-reliance, strength of character, and adherence to principle. Although the text deals frankly with the more troubled aspects of the Appalachian experience--the Cherokee removal, clan feuds, the hillbilly stereotype, labor strife, stripmining and clearcutting, black lung disease, and poverty--Bial consistently emphasizes the strengths of the people, their unique traditions, and the beauty of the landscape. The photographs suggest the remoteness and isolation that both engendered and preserved a proudly independent culture and also left the region vulnerable to economic marginalization. There are no scenes of deprivation or denuded hillsides among his lovely full-color images or among the scattering of black-and-white photos. Get out a map and put this work next to Rylant and Moser's Appalachia (1991).

Pub Date: March 1, 1997

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: 48

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 1997

Categories: CHILDREN'S