A Review by Jeanette Cooper

KENTUCKY...THE MOUNTAINS I CALL HOME, by Joyce Bowling, is a beautifully written collection of stories and poems that offer heartwarming tales of the life and times of the author and revolve around family, friends and community in the Appalachian mountains of Kentucky.

Joyce's book gives us a look at the geographical region of her homeland and the models for the heritage and culture that influenced her life into adulthood. Her stories and poems provide a refreshing read that is a labor of love as she shares her growing up years.

We see the early life of her relatives in a community setting where everyone knows everyone else. We see how they interact in a sharing capacity, how they make a living and provide for their own needs through planting crops, sewing clothing, making quilts, and we see their deep faith and how they worship. The stories are warm, friendly, and one feels the sense of the moment and place where Joyce's memories began and/or took place.

One story and its complementary poem drew memories from me. In 1970 I watched on television as news blasted the story of the mine explosion in Kentucky where thirty-eight miners were killed. It was news to me--it was reality to Joyce and her family as they stood by praying for family and friends who were in the mine. This is just one heart-rending story and poem you will read about Joyce's life in the mountains she loves.

If you love history, culture, and traditions centering on peoples' lives, you will also love Joyce's book of stories and poetry that show you the gentle side of a community way of life as folks grow, share faith, joy, happiness, and pain in their warm interactions together. I thought it was a wonderful read, and I plan to revisit it often because the poetry is like folk tales that give you something new each time you read it.