The Sugar Maple Grove (Paperback) by John E Espy

After reading the other reviews I was hesitant to read this book, but in fact I would vigorously disagree with the other reviews and would in fact give the Sugar Maple Grove 5 stars. Yes, it is gritty and yes it is in places 'language' offensive - but this is the way it was and in many respects still is. It is as though we don't want our sensibilities damaged. The story IS the way it was in eastern Kentucky. The many characters that are referenced are characters that appear in a manner in which the residents of eastern Ky - especially a hundred years ago spoke. The author has obviously been diligent in his dedication to language and societal detail. The story is extraordinary and draws one in immediately. Again, it is gritty - but it is not a false representation of how life in the mining communities were back then and how rough and difficult miners and their families had it. The novel does not jump around but takes the reader through a rough, difficult series of events that span many years. There is a review somewhere it is compared with To Kill a Mockingbird and to that I would agree. It may not be there yet, but eventually The Sugar Maple Grove will be considered a classic and the masterpiece that it is. Don't be put off by the other reviews - read it. I read extensively as a professor of southern literature.