A Long Row to Hoe

by Billy C. Clark

Clark's autobiography of his astonishing primitive river bank childhood in Catlettsburg, Kentucky at the junction of the Big Sandy and Ohio Rivers. Clark was a member of a sprawling, ragged family. His father was an intelligent, fiddle-playing shoemaker with little formal education. His mother often took in washing to help provide food for the family. The boy grew up in a derelict house, "The Leaning Tower," on the banks of the Ohio River. Always hungry, often dirty, and without sufficient clothing, he led an adventurous life on the two rivers, swimming, fishing and salvaging flotsam from the frequent floods. Billy was the only one of his family to seek an education, and through his traps, his river salvage, and odd jobs, he earned money to put himself through school. His final chapter ends with a powerful account of his parent's pride at his graduation.

285 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1988

About the author

Billy C. Clark was an American author of 11 books and many poems and short stories, heavily influenced by his childhood growing up in poverty in Kentucky.

Reviews

[Douglas · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good memoir of growing up in Kentucky at the junction of the Big Sandy and Ohio rivers. Each place I visit in the summer with my girls I try to find some local history books showing how life was or is lived in that particular state. Billy Clark writes of his childhood growing up in poverty in the 30's and 40's and how living off the river provided for his education through college. Although not as emotional or heartfelt as some of the other books I've read similar in vein to this one, it starts a little slow but picks up steam and interest as it develops.

It is amazing to me to compare what I had or what my girls have now growing up versus how difficult life was just a few generations ago. As a parent reading a book like this makes you redouble your efforts in teaching your kids how to value each and every thing they have in life, from the food eaten to their clothes worn to all the toys and entertainment options they have. We live in such a disposable society currently.

[Cwn_annwn_13 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clark is from the same town in eastern Kentucky that my Mother is. I spent a lot of time out there as a child so it made this book that much more enjoyable. Clark talks about his childhood growing up in eastern Kentucky, being a "river rat", hunting, fishing and trapping to make money, chicken fights, corrupt greedy landlords, whiskey bootleggers, dogs, the constant threat of floods, fiddle playing, the very folkish pagan like characters that inhabited the hills and communed with the "spirits", all this and lots more. This is a great read. Clark is second only to Jesse Stuart as far as recording an authentic real voice of eastern Kentucky.