Keepsakes for the Heart: An Historical Biography

See Larger Image	Manufacturer: Overmountain Press Written By: Amelia Townsend,Dink Shackleford Average Customer Rating:


Binding: Hardcover EAN: 9781570722301 ISBN: 1570722307 Label: Overmountain Press Manufacturer: Overmountain Press Number Of Items: 1 Number Of Pages: 222 Publication Date: 2002-02 Publisher: Overmountain Press Studio: Overmountain Press
Editorial Reviews: What would you do if you had no home and no family? Where would you turn if every road ended at a brick wall? Sarah Bishop Hart, a small, gentle woman from the hills of Southwest Virginia, was born into a world without hope. When she was five years old, her father hired her out to a family she had never met. From that day, Sarah never knew a real home or what it was like to have a true family. "Keepsakes for the Heart" sets the life of Sarah Bishop Hart against the mountains and the coal mines, The Great Depression and two World Wars, the women's movement, and other upheavals of the twentieth century. Sarah's simple mountain philosophy offers a lesson to anyone who has ever thought about giving up, "You can be anything you want. You just got to be tough as an old pine knot. Trust God to take care of you. And keep the good things in your heart. Pull them out to keep you going when times are bad".
Spotlight customer reviews: Customer Rating: Summary: Keepsakes for the Heart Comment: Keepsakes for the Heart: An Historical Biography I am a descendant of the main character. She was truly just as you find her in the book. She was a strong, quiet and loving woman. Her trials were many but they never broke her spirit. She is the kind of woman we need today. Her family was her treasure. I advise anyone planning to read this book to have a box of tissues close at hand. Customer Rating: Summary: Women with GRIT ! Comment: This biography was very interesting, if sometimes maddening, because of all the many hardships some of the Appalachian people had to go through, especially the women. The men mostly ruled the roost back then, and women coped, if they could. It follows a mountain family with many children and then one of the daughters who grew up throughout the book. I liked the little sections of pure history interspersed within the story to help you understand more about the people and some of the challenges they faced. There is quite a bit about the beginnings of the coal mining industry in the Appalachaian area, which grew very large for a while, then started slowing down with the introduction of technology and more stringent safety rules. It tells some about the "caste" system that developed where the bosses and foremen lived on top of the hill in the nicer, larger houses, and the workers lived at the bottom, and knew their "place". This book takes place in the past century, from early 1900's until about 1990. Many of the people who read a loaned copy want to get a copy for themselves. Get this. You will find it fascinating, but prepare to have your emotions stirred. Customer Rating: Summary: Gap Creek Comment: We used Gap Creek in our Davidson County Schools, NC for our first media coordinators' Book Talk. Robert Morgan's mother and sister attended. We thoroughly enjoyed the book. Mrs. Morgan's mother was the person that Robert Morgan used to fashion the character "Julie" around. This is a must read book! Customer Rating: Summary: What A Story and What A History Lesson! Comment: This is a book everyone should read. What hardship and cruelty this family endured! Having been raised in Big Stone Gap and especially the Wildcat section, I heard stories much like this when I was growing up. Amelia Townsend and Dink Shackleford have combined their talents for a sure-fire winner in this one. Customer Rating: Summary: Great woman and story Comment: I could not put this book down. I've never given up a lunch hour to read a book... but for this one ... i did. More Reviews