"It's Not My Mountain Anymore"

I have known of Foxfire for many, many years and have some of the books, which date back several years. I have also read other books about the Appalachians, including "Christy," set in the Smoky Mountain area. I have always been delighted to read about the people and the culture of that area and have had admiration for their strong family bonds and their self-reliance. As noted in this book, if one can't grow it, make it, or find it, one doesn't have it. (Which reminds me of my own grandmother, who taught me "Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without!")I am glad I had the opportunity to read this book to get a more modern take on the area and the ongoing changes. It is, I suppose, inevitable that change (or "progress") must arrive to any area, any group of people, and as the author notes, some change can be positive.The author's "voice" is delightful. Her mother had a strong sense of humor and clearly her daughter inherited a love of laughter and an ability to inspire it.Despite the sections dealing with negative emotions left by land development, economic changes, and other issues, one is not left feeling "down" after finishing the book. The author's sense of hope and faith is strong and keeps the book from becoming a memorial of "the way things once were" but rather an expression of how much was and is worthwhile and is worth preserving or restoring.I am not a religious person at all. The author clearly has a strong faith and it is expressed in the book, but it is not preachy or proselytizing in the least. Her quiet yet strong belief is somehow reassuring and comforting.I obtained this book for free for the Kindle and will be strongly considering purchasing an actual copy for my library.

A very enjoyable book is what you get when you take the time to read "It's Not My Mountain Anymore." When I began reading this book I was very skeptical of whether or not I would enjoy it. I must point out that the kindle cover is a pretty picture but leaves a lot to be desired in the realm of what the book could possibly be about. After reading the book, I see this cover as a symbol of what this book was really about, a simpler time when nature played a bigger role in people's lives than cell phones and email did.For me, the most important part of this book was the ability of the author to tell a compelling story while she was also creating an entertaining experience for her readers. There were a few slow spots in this book, but the writing was well thought out and I was able to enjoy the book without ever thinking of giving up before the end. This is an emotional book filled with the remembrance of days gone by and some really wonderful descriptive language. I liked it.

I have had this book on my kindle for at least two years and finally got around to reading it. The author was a member of the Foxfire magazine publishing project when she was in high school. She offers a fascinating look at life in Appalachia, relating the life stories of her grandparents, her parents and her own childhood growing up in Raybun County, Georgia. I highlighted many, many bits of mountain wisdom and common sense, along with some pretty good jokes. Life was very hard for her family and the generations that preceded hers. If you couldn't make it, or build it, raise it or grow it yourself, you didn't have it. The tales of keeping house and wash day make me so glad I have a vacuum cleaner, central heating and a washing machine. Mountain people are still resourceful, caring and kind. Unfortunately their home has been invaded by developers selling homes to the rich, ski resorts and businesses that ended up polluting the land. There is a moral here.This book is well worth reading and I highly recommend it.

This is a wonderful read beyond the Foxfire books and stories, actually taking the reader behind the scenes of the beginning of the Foxfire efforts to document and preserve Appalachian heritage before it disappeared. For many readers this will be an introduction to a new world, a real world beyond the growing stereotypes in the present flood of Appalachian, Swamp and other "reality" shows on TV. This book is written in a casual style, and most of the time I felt as though I were sitting in the kitchen across the table from Barbara as she told me the stories of her family, growing up in the mountains and watching the onrushing wave of "progress", time and changes to her homeland and heritage. It is clearly evident that Barbara Woodall was writing from the heart on a subject dear to her. I enjoyed this book and Barbara's telling very much, and recommend it to anyone seeking to find out more about the real Appalachian mountains background and culture.

Someone recommended this book to me and I am glad they did. Excellent read. If you like a truthful yet endearing perspective about appalachian people, this is a must have for your collection. If you are a fan of Foxfire- you will be enlightened by this inside look into what went on behind the scenes, and how foxfire isnt just about books on folklore and people. Its also about love, neighbors and community, much like the place it is based in. I was exceptionally pleased to see that this book did an excellent job of presenting the people of the area in true persepctive and negated the long told rumors that the people are like the hillbillies of the movie that was filmed there 40 years ago. So if you are looking for a fictional book about how the people are like the characters in Deliverance, this isnt your book. Great job Barbara.

Woodall's book reaches into her family history and gives a realistic sketch of life in the Rabun County area of Northeast Georgia. She masterfully exposes unique qualities of these people, their strong sense of right and wrong, their love of the land, their hardships, and their efforts to survive whatever came their way. She also shows the effects of new comers moving in, tourism, and companies which use the land for their own profit, ignoring the long range effect on the fragile communities of flora, fauna, and indigenous people of the mountains.

fun read of a local story, written as if one has a peak into the past re: how life was growing up in the mountains

This was not something I'd normally read, but as it was free and as I was at a loose end I thought I'd give it a go. So glad I did.It's not gripping, it's not thrilling and has no plot....yet somehow each page was a pleasure to turn and read.The author obviously cares very deeply about the area she lives in, not just trying to hold back on the onslaught of urban invasion but trying to make sense of it as well.I didn't even know Deliverance was shot in the Appalacians until I read it here, the author views the film as a bad image creator of the area, well more the bad image of the people. But the one abiding memory I have of the film was the drop dead amazing scenery it was putting on my TV, not the people in it.I'm lucky I do like to read a bit of everything, so was quite prpeared to give this a go. Very glad I did. If you want a read that isn't taxing, that makes you grin occasionally and that you can walk away from and pick back up easily then this little gem is worth a look.As I said I did get this whilst it was on offer for free on Amazon....not sure if I'd want to pay the £6.48 list......it was good but not that good. But then again if you like and regularly read this sort of book then you'd probably find the price worth paying.

A good read!