J. Keith Jones

Grandfather Mountain (Images of America)
By Michael C. Hardy
Reviewed by J. Keith Jones

I just finished perusing Michael Hardy’s illustrated history of Grandfather Mountain, North Carolina. First he leads off with a history of the mountain. Starting with the geological history and progressing through the settlement and ownership of the mountain and culminating with Grandfather Mountain State Park.

Then he takes you through really fun parts, the pictures. This book is divided up in several sections from the old time to the modern. It also features some of the photographic history of some of the activities that gave Grandfather its special flavor, such as Singing on the Mountain and the Scottish Highland Games.

You see pictures of Johnny Cash performing along with other notable celebrities. Bagpipes and Scottish Highland activities tie the mountain in with the heritage of the people of North Carolina. There are pictures of Alexander MacRae playing his bagpipes in front of his hotel and boarding house. MacRae was an early resident of Grandfather when he came to work as a shepherd for Capt. Walter Lenoir. In the modern day, he has pictures of great events like the Scottish heavy athletics and the Parade of Tartans.

This book is a worthy addition to any collection of North Carolina history. If you are a North Carolinian or have any interest in the state and its great sites, you need this book on your mantelpiece.

Watauga County, North Carolina in the Civil War
By Michael C. Hardy
Reviewed by J. Keith Jones

Michael Hardy’s treatment of Watauga County’s role in the War Between the States is his usual great effort. In fact this may be one of his best yet. Along with a chapter apiece for each year of the war, there are chapters for Watauga’s Confederates, Reconstruction, Unionists and the traces and historical markers of the war around today.

Hardy does a thorough job and exhibits some of the best writing he has done. He spent the last twenty years assembling the information in this book. Along with the publicly available sources, such as books – both old and not so old – he also brought in information not so easy to come by unless you are very close to the subject. These include pictures, letters and other items held in local and regional museums and even in private collections.

Finally this county rich in an interesting and diverse history for this period has a definitive treatment for its role in the so-called American Civil War.

Burnt Offering
By Mary Mueller
Reviewed by J. Keith Jones

“Burnt Offering” is the third book in Mary Mueller’s “Ryersen Trilogy.” In many ways this series illustrates the altering of the course of an entire family for generations to come. Like a mighty ship changing the course of a life takes time and careful maneuvering and affects what is ahead in not only that life, but those that come after.

The first book, “The Redemption of Matthew Ryersen” shows a man walking away from the material goods of past generations. Matthew is completely on his own, his parents and grandparents are now dead, all their possessions are forfeit. It is time to go forward with a clean slate, but imprinted on his spirit is the history of alcoholism, abuse and neglect through the generations of his family. Their ghosts haunt him and he is doomed to repeat this cycle. In fact, contrary to what he might think, we see that he has already begun to perpetuate these patterns when his drug addicted ex-girlfriend dumps the son he never wanted on his doorstep. Through the love of a family that not only hired Matthew to work on their farm, but also took him in as one of their own, Matthew eventually took to his parental role and grew to love his son, Will, as a father should. The trials the boy had suffered from not being wanted for a significant part of his childhood took its toll. We see this in the second book, “Mirror Images.”

Fair warning, these trials faced in “Mirror Images” result in a very dark story. Reminiscent of a John Steinbeck book, it is well written and flows very well, but leaves you with a sense of futility. Read “Mirror Images,” as it is necessary to understand and fully appreciate book three, “Burnt Offering,” and trust me, you do not want to miss this book. In “Burnt Offering” Mary Mueller pays off the entire series in a most satisfying manner. Through these books, Mueller shows how God can turn the destiny of not just one life, but an entire family line around in one generation, if you are willing to let him.

My advice, read all three books, but be sure to have book three in hand before you finish book two, because you will not want to leave the series hanging there even for a little while.