This anthology of twenty-two short stories by contemporary North Carolina writers, selected by Gingher, the longtime book review editor of the Greensboro News and Record, is a testament to the vitality of the literary tradition of the state. Contributors include Alice Adams, Maya Angelou, Doris Betts, Fred Chappell, Clyde Edgerton, Kaye Gibbons, Allan Gurganus, Randall Kenan, Reynolds Price, and Lee Smith.
First pens a celebration of the mystery and allure of the Blue Ridge Mountains and the daily discipline of immersing himself in the discoveries to be found there.
A collection of twenty-five short stories by North Carolina writers showcases the southern flavors and literary pyrotechnics born of this state's rich storytelling traditions. Simultaneous.
If you want to C reason for taking the time to read my story, then here they are: A Child who survives a Coma that later Causes him Confusion and Creates a Comma, from Convictions of Crime to a life and a Career with a Car Company that made him a number one Commercial sales professional in the Country and then Conquered the Cancer that Claimed the life of his father, which Created in him a Cause to Convey to his Children that Courage is what Chances are made of and is the only Cord to Contention and a will to Continue.
Dave and his buddies are on their way home from the war. They look forward to civilian life, but have reservations. How will they be treated? Will they be accepted? Upon landing, they are greeted by protesters who are very antagonistic to them because they are soldiers. Each goes his own way with experiences both good and bad. Their reintegration back into civilian life proves to be anything but easy, each one facing similar obstacles. It proves to be a long process, one that not everyone can overcome. Dave drives cross-country to get home and ends up with a companion he didnt expect. Pete wonders if his parents will accept him now that he is crippled and has to walk with crutches. Joe goes with Pete and tries to encourage him, all the while wondering what his homecoming will be like. All three have memories and nightmares to deal with. How well will they succeed? This book is about the heroes, and victims, of the horrific situations forced upon them and the results of how they deal with them. Their characters are fiction but their flashbacks are real, and each one has a tremendous price to pay for their service.
What is it about the desolate far North American wilderness that calls the intrepid traveler to uncover its sanctifying and deadly secrets? From Jack London (Call of the Wild) to Christopher McCandless (chronicled in Jon Krakauer’s Into the Wild) souls have found solace in the silent, frozen northern kingdom at the top of the world, the Ultima Thule. The forested flatlands give way to the frozen Rocky Mountains over millions of acres nominally in the dominion of both the United States and Canada and accessible by its 1532 mile shared umbilical cord—The Alcan Highway. Legendary vagabond, Jim Christy, a Canadian now but born an American travels this road throughout his life. First as a young man in the early 1960s hungry for rugged adventure then revisiting the journey every few years both observing and reflecting on the growth of Northwest in the Rough Road to the North. Christy vividly describes the history of the indigenous people and the hearty (and often foolhardy) pioneers who built the Alcan highway and opened the northern road. Christy’s lyrical text weaves fulsome magic about the siren call of the last unconquered land of North America. The forested flatlands give way to the frozen Rocky Mountains over millions of acres nominally in the dominion of both the United States and Canada and accessible by its 1532 mile shared umbilical cord—The Alcan Highway. Legendary vagabond, Jim Christy, a Canadian now but born an American travels this road throughout his life. First as a young man in the early 1960s hungry for rugged adventure then revisiting the journey every few years both observing and reflecting on the growth of Northwest in the Rough Road to the North.
The incredible, untold story behind the rise of the P-51 Mustang, the World War II fighter plane that destroyed the Luftwaffe and made D-Day possible “Aviation buffs will cheer this high-flying saga.”—Publishers Weekly • “[A] fascinating book about passion and innovation.”—Walter Isaacson • “An essential book for those who appreciate tales of military bravery, and also for all seeking understanding of decision-making under pressure. A major contribution.”—E. J. Dionne, Jr. When the P-51 Mustang began tearing across European skies in early 1944, the Allies had been losing the air war for years. Staggering numbers of bomber crews, both British and American, had been shot down and killed thanks to the Luftwaffe’s superior fighter force. Not only did the air war appear grim, but any landing of troops in France was impossible while German fighters hunted overhead. But behind the scenes, a team of visionaries had begun to design a bold new type of airplane, one that could outrun and outmaneuver Germany’s best. Wings of War is the incredible true story of the P-51 Mustang fighter and the unlikely crew of designers, engineers, test pilots, and army officers who brought it from the drafting table to the skies over World War II. This is hardly a straightforward tale of building an airplane—for years, the team was stymied by corruption within the defense industry and stonewalled by the Army Air Forces, who failed to understand the Mustang’s potential. But when squadrons of Mustangs were finally unleashed over Hitler’s empire, the Luftwaffe was decimated within months, clearing the skies for D-Day. A compelling, character-focused narrative replete with innovation, determination, and bravery, Wings of War is the never-before-told story of the airplane that truly changed the course of World War II.
For Las Vegas widow Naomi, memories of a Pennsylvania Dutch childhood are an ache from the distant past, a painful memory of abandoned roots and lost connections. She has long since reconciled herself to the shattered dreams that had enticed her from her heritage and now simply lives in a tiny apartment, thick with loneliness and regret. Her sole consolation is her daughter-in-law Ruth. But when hard living claims both of her boys, the two women turn Naomi's creaky Impala eastward in a desperate, last-chance bid for hope and meaning. Thus begins a cross-country odyssey that brings her home to her old farm in Lancaster County--and to the values and rhythms of a life once spurned. Although the East is foreign territory, Ruth also finds a home here among the slow and authentic cadences of Pennsylvania farm country. And she finds love...
