The Cove

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I've extolled my love for Ron Rash in the past, so I won't delve into my affinity for his writing style and deep character development.  His latest novel, The Cove, left me sucker-punched (in the best way literature possibly can) and reading into the wee hours of the night.
The Cove takes place during WWI and tells the story of Laurel Shelton, a lonely young woman thought to be a witch by her neighbors in Mars Hill, North Carolina.  She was born with a dark birthmark, and everyone truly believes that she is responsible for the dark and gloom of the cove.  With both of her parents dead, it's Laurel and her brother, Hank, against the townsfolk.  When Hank reveals that he is planning to marry a local girl and leave Laurel in the cove by herself, Laurel begins to think that she may live the rest of her life as a hermit.
A man stumbles near their home one day, and Laurel's fear dissipates.  The stranger cannot speak, but he can play the flute beautifully, as well as help Hank prepare the small farm for the winter.  Soon, Laurel is planning a future away from Mars Hill, but how can she trust a man who cannot tell her where he's been?
This story is woven with a separate narrative about Chauncey Feith, a young army recruiter in town who is also a bit of an outcast; rather than fight in Europe, he stays behind to enlist others.  He's always a bit on edge, and feels the need to prove himself as an important person in his community. 
Their storylines meet in  a tragic way, and Rash does a great job of switching up the reader's feelings for Chauncey so you never quite know what to expect of him.  The book got off to a slow start, but ended with me staying up until 2am on Sunday to finish it.  Beautiful prose, fleshed-out characters, vivid locale...everything I would expect from Ron Rash.

The World Made Straight

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A few years ago, I had the great pleasure of meeting Ron Rash at ALA.  He's a wonderfully talented Appalachian author who won an Alex Award for this book. He had a few copies of the book with him, and even signed mine!  Oh, librarian celebs.

Travis Shelton is a 17-year old kid who leaves his home to live with a small time, drug-dealing teacher.  His father barely notices him, except when he messes up, and he feels as though his life is going nowhere.  Leonard Shuler takes him in, recognizing an intelligence not often seen in the small town in North Carolina where the book takes place.  The two of them discover a bit more of themselves by living together, with an ending that proves that history doesn't always repeat itself exactly.

The story itself isn't exciting or groundbreaking, but Rash is a beautiful storyteller with a lyrical prose that will entrance you.  It's great to read some Southern literature that doesn't come from Arkansas, but rather from the Appalachian mountain area, which isn't seen often in novels.  I loved this book the first time I read it, and it's held up the second time around.