The Road from Gap Creek

Years ago, Hank and Julie Williams left Gap Creek, Appalachia, for a better life in North Carolina. This audiobook, told from the perspective of their youngest daughter, Annie, reveals what happened in their new home. Folksy without lapsing into caricature, Emma Galvin is a confident-sounding narrator bursting with personality. She sometimes makes Annie seem younger than she is but ultimately holds the listener's attention with her depiction of Annie's genuine sweetness. The novel is more a series of nostalgic vignettes than a work driven by one forceful plotline, and sometimes Annie's tendency to repeat herself is noticeable in the audio format. Whether or not they enjoyed Morgan's earlier work, GAP CREEK, listeners will appreciate Galvin's adept portrayal of Annie's charm and sincerity. L.B.F. (c) AudioFile 2013, Portland, Maine

July 1, 2013
Robert Morgan returns to his bestselling Gap Creek characters, the Richards family, as well as the Peace family from his earlier Appalachian story, The Truest Pleasure. Annie, the daughter of Gap Creek’s Julie and Hank, is married to Muir Peace, but her younger brother Troy and his dog, Old Pat, are closest to her affections. In Morgan’s world, nothing loved the way Troy and Old Pat are loved can escape tragedy for long, but the pair possesses an intelligence and curiosity that captivate; art, ambition and healing enter the Richards house through their bond. While Troy’s work produces admiration and opportunity, Muir’s work often leads to humiliation; he lays the foundation for an ill-fated stone church on a mountaintop that mirrors his dream of becoming a preacher. As in Gap Creek, Morgan reserves his harshest blows for Julie; after her brutal early years she has forced some beauty and satisfaction into her home, but more bitter loss is in store for her. Annie is granted a kinder fate; as she agrees to marry Muir, she says: “I saw how hard it would be, and I didn’t care,” and in the end, Annie’s own road grows smoother.