Blue Ridge Traditions Marketplace - Biographies and memoirs from writers in Virginia and the Blue Ridge Area

BIOGRAPHY & MEMOIR

Lucy Breckenridge of Grove Hill The Journal of a Virginia Girl, 1862-1864 Edited by Mary D. Robertson Eighteen when the war began, Lucy started her journal at 19, as a member of an old and famous family, from an historic home in Botetourt County, VA, from which her 5 brothers had left to fight. A unique, poignant, and candid view of life in Southern plantation society in its final years, this journal gives us glimpses into the intelligent and sensitive perceptions of a young woman who was restless with her quiet life in the midst of national turmoil, who was resigned to a life of marriage and being the mistress of a home...if her world survived. She and her fiancée survived the war, were married in January of 1865, and she died of typhoid fever that June. Reading this journal enriches one and helps one understand the truly personal dimension of 19th century culture in the South. Paperback, 245 pages. Qty: ~~$18~~ $9.00	Man Who Moved Mountains Richard C. Davis Very readable account by a sympathetic author of the extraordinary life of a rural, frontier minister and the challenges he faced and conquered in his efforts to “tame” the wild and unruly lifestyles of the Virginia southwestern frontier. The Childress legacy lives on to this day. Paperback, 253 pages. Qty: ~~$18~~ $5.00	Life in Firelane Linda Stanley This book has 36 short essays/stories in it, all which were originally published as articles in the Franklin News-Post paper in Franklin County, Virginia. Linda Stanley, a natural comic who has never met a stranger, recounts events in her own life, as a parent, friend, reporter...humorous and memorable things from just about every part of her life. You will have to strap yourself to your chair to keep from rolling out from your laughter! Squirrels, cows, airplane trips, persimmons, kinfolk, and her escapades as a driver, written by a funny woman who is always on the go give this book its charm. Paperback, 101 pages. Qty: $9 $4.95
Paper Faces Ibby Greer Memoir of a privileged baby boomer whose life has taken her all over the USA and abroad. Intimate, moving, with moments of joy and grief, this book written in free verse brings the second half of the 20th century to life. Paperback, 192 pages. Qty: ~~$15~~ $4.95	Spirits in the Field Bruce Hopkins Astoundingly poignant and evocative story/history/reflections about the ancestors and families whose graves were to be moved so KDOT could expand a major highway through an old, hilly part of eastern Kentucky. You will never see a cemetery the same way again. Paperback, 226 pages Qty: ~~$18~~ $12.00	Nothing But Time Judy Light Ayyildiz The account of a woman's struggle with Guillian-Barre Syndrome. The author lives in Roanoke, VA. Qty: ~~$20~~ $10.00
Bright Wings to Fly Bruce Hopkins This historically rich prequel to Hopkins’ “Spirits in the Field” delves deeper into the lives of the 19th century families we first met in “Spirits in the Field” in Pike County, KY. Especially interesting is the depiction of the Civil War’s Battle of Saltville’s effects on the region. Love stories, trauma, loyalties, and memories: this beautifully written book has it all. See the review of this book. Qty: ~~$16~~ $10.00	That Shining Place Simone Poirier-Bures A memoir of the time the author spent on the island of Crete as a young girl. Softcover, 93 pages Qty: $3.00	Reflections in an Old Mirror April Miller Qty: $3.00
If That Car Talked Colin L. Hutcherson While the sub-title says “good friends” and most of the stories revolve around a 1967 candy apple red GTO, it is also about the author’s best friends both then and now. Along with other close friends and family, the exploits and antics of these guys in particular (plus a few others) will keep the reader on an emotional roller coaster. All the stories are true, but most of the names have been changed to protect the not so innocent. It takes place in the 1980’s when growing up was an adventure in itself even in a small town in southern Virginia. If you ever had a real muscle car, have one now or ever wondered what it was like to drive the fastest car around than this is a must read. Through high school and college, to my career job that GTO made it through some incredible escapades. The anecdotes will give you a feeling of being right there, watching it all unfold. Almost every page is a guarantee you will smile, laugh, cry, or cheer and maybe even say, “I remember doing something like that!” You may have even been there… Softcover, 270 pages Qty: $5.00	All in a Day's Work Daniel Way, M.D. Intimate and thought-provoking photo-journalism and interviews of everyday people/patients by their observant doctor in rural New York State. Dr. Way has the same artistic vision and ability to capture the essence of a scene and personality as his painter sister Anne Way Bernard in rural Virginia. Hardcover, 132 pages. Qty: ~~$26~~ $5.00