A book originally published in 1905 is a must-read for all fascinated by mountain culture of Appalachia. "The Spirit of the Mountains" by Emma B. Miles* is illustrated by her own paintings of mountain scenes and people. It "is one of the few books about Appalachia and its people which neither romanticizes nor condescends," says David E. Whisnant, from the Introduction to the edition in 1975. Ten chapters cover music, religion, legends, the effects of commercial development, types of people, traditions, the relations and expectations between women and men in the mountains, and other aspects of a culture.

The Introduction, with its detailed discussion of the author's unusual life, is as riveting as the book. Born in Indiana and moved to Kentucky and then to Tennessee as a child, she grew to love mountain life, choosing to live there as an adult. She lived briefly in St.Louis as an art student thanks to the sponsorship of some wealthy Chattanooga patrons of a department store who knew of Emma's artistic talent. But she returned home, saying "[St. Louis] was like a world of dreams; I wanted to go back to the mountains and reality." 

For the reader of 2003, having witnessed the fate of industry, education, and cultural stereotyping of what we consider "Appalachia," this book is an eye-opener. Here are observations based on real encounters with colorful people, on visits to lonely parts of an isolated region. Step into this mountain stream and view life lived long ago. It is a treasure.

(* available for $20 at The Blue Lady Bookshop. (Add $.90 and $5 S+H)