No Place for the Weary Kind: Women of the Smokies

by Courtney Lix

This beautifully written book offers a glimpse into the history of the Great Smoky Mountains through the lives of women who loved and shaped the land around them. They were toughened by the upheaval of the Civil War, endured perils of the logging boom of the 1920s, resorted to moonshining to make ends meet during the Depression, navigated fraught political waters to safeguard the nation’s most visited national park, and more.

Author Courtney Lix gives voice to 19 women’s contributions to a remarkable region, celebrating the diversity of experiences and lives as varied as the mountains themselves. Lottie Stamper was the central figure in reviving a lost art of Cherokee basketry; Margaret Stevenson hiked thousands of miles in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, inspiring countless others to lace up their boots and join her; Dolly Parton brought mountain music to an international audience. And yet, despite their differences in background, talents, and time period, the women all share a common bond of tenacity, strength in adversity, and a guiding sense of the place they call home.

Compelling and lyrical, Women of the Smokies celebrates the lives of renowned and accomplished women—lives too often overlooked—and their importance in making the Great Smoky Mountains such a unique and beloved place.

Available from regional independent book publisher Great Smoky Mountains Association, all proceeds benefit the national park: http://www.smokiesinformation.org/sho...

Genres: Nonfiction, Biography

296 pages, Paperback

First published May 8, 2016

About the author

Courtney Lix grew up in the Great Smoky Mountains. She is the author of two books about the mountains, and is a regular contributor to Smokies Life Magazine. Her writing awards include the Ferris Prize for Journalism from Princeton University, the Gregory T. Pope Prize for Science Writing, and recognition of FAQ Bears as the best general interest publication by the Association of Partners for Public Lands in 2011. She lives in Washington DC.

Reviews

[Jeanette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aesthetically speaking, this is a lovely book. It is one of those books that just feels good in your hands. The cover is lovely and the interior is a gem. Each chapter begins with an illustration of the woman being chronicled along with a quote by or about her. At the end of the chapter is a photograph or two of the woman. I love how each chapter was book-ended in this way! My appreciation to the illustrator and designer. Just excellent work.
Beyond the look and feel of the book I still really enjoyed reading this book. Each chapter tells the story of a woman who was or is tied to the history and life of the Great Smoky Mountains. The author did an excellent job of chronicling a variety of women from early settlers, hikers, naturalists, artists, and writers to the first female park superintendent. While I enjoyed all the biographies, I especially enjoyed the first section of the book which told the stories of women who lived in the Smokies before it became a national park or in the very early days of the park's creation. Second to the woman from the first section of the book, I loved reading about Margaret Stevenson and Gracie McNichol who started hiking the trails in their fifties and sixties and went on to break and or set several Smoky Mountain hiking records. Gracie McNichol's final (and 244th) hike to Mt. LeConte was on her 92nd birthday. Margaret Stevenson hiked the mountain 718 recorded times. Two woman well worth admiring.

[Kristen LaDuke · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoy a book that leads me down rabbit holes! This book is comprised of 17 chapters, with each highlighting the life and legacy of a woman with special ties to the Smoky Mountains. After recently visiting GSMNP, this was a well written read about the people and history of a spectacular place. I would highly recommend it if you have plans to travel there.

[Layla · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book couples the history and wonder that is the Great Smoky Mountains with the stories of 19 amazing women. The author's love and respect for the region shines through and I'm eager to forge my own trip to the mountains. The book is well-researched non-fiction and Lix's strength is in her ability for storytelling that draws you in and leaves you wanting to learn more (which the extensive resources section in the back of the book is great for).

[Jen Hitt · Rating 4 out of 5]

This set of short biographies paints a beautiful picture of the mountains, their splendor and the tenacity they require of their inhabitants. By the end of the book I was filled with the strong urge to go on a hike, not just in the Smokies, but anywhere there's a trail!

[Elizabeth Raines · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book would make a great character study. If you are someone wanting to write something that takes place in Appalachia or in the Great Smoky Mountains, you should pick up the book to see what life is like for people there. Another way this could be used as a character study is if you have ancestors from the area; you can gain a better understanding of what their life was like.

I never thought about what these national parks were before they became parks. In the instance of the Great Smoky Mountains, people were living on those lands, having lives, having families, and having farms, and then they were all made to leave. It is a real sticky situation. I understand the desire to preserve nature, and ultimately, if those families had stayed on those lands, would nature have been preserved? They could say that they wanted to keep the lands as they were, but who knows what their descendants would have wanted? Would they have sold this land for homes or commercial purposes?

The writing started out very poetic, but I wish this book were told more in chronological order about these women rather than focusing on the connections between them, as it just became repetitive over time reading about people in somewhat of the same roles.

3.25 out of 5 stars.

[Naturegirl · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cannot say enough good things about this book. The writing is excellent. There is a depth of history and insight into the lives of these women who lived in the mountains. Their stories are of struggle, hardship, and achievement in the face of adversity. This book is about women who loved these mountains, died in these mountains, birthed babies and lost husbands in these mountains. Their roots run deep into the land and I learned so much about the national park and historical facts about that area. I was even able to hike to Mayna Avent's cabin and see where she painted and the surroundings where she drew her inspiration from. If you appreciate the Smokies and want to learn more about some of the women who lived there, this is an excellent resource.

[Marieta Grissom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed reading about 19 women in 17 stories about life in the Smokies. Well researched and well written, which I very much appreciate. I loved reading the stories of the women with very different backgrounds and connections to the region.

As with any anthology of stories, there is a disconnect from one story to the next even though the stories are grouped with similar topics. This was not a book to be read continuously. When I finished one story, I wasn't urged to start the next one in the same sitting.

Being a midwesterner and having only visited GSMNP twice, I'm now ready to go back! This book was recommended to me during our recent visit by one of the bookstore staff at Oconaluftee Visitor Center and I'm glad she did!

[Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book - I generally struggle with non-fiction, even when it’s a topic I’m eager to learn more about, but I found this to be a very easy and fascinating read. Each woman gets a lovely retelling of their lives and passions, and the reader can choose whether or not they wish to find out more (the further reading recommendations at the end are very helpful, I’m personally very excited to read more about Ella Costner.)

Additionally, I really enjoyed the illustrations at the beginning of each woman’s story, and the photographs added at the end. It’s just a very well put-together book and you can feel the love in the pages. I picked it up at a park gift shop on my trip to the Smokies, and think it’s one of the best souvenir purchases I’ve ever made.

[Catherine Lowe · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great book! I especially loved the stories of mountain people who were born and lived in the Smokies. Also interesting were the women who moved to the Smokies as inspiration for their art and writing and those who served those living there. The impact of establishing a National Park on what was private property and the ongoing issues with the park and surrounding communities was enlightening. I added to my list of books to read based on some of the writings of women featured. Looking forward to learning more about this biodiverse, beautiful, and inspiring part of our country and history!

[Connie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a great little read for fans of the national parks, especially the Great Smoky Mtns, which includes me! Really enjoyed chapters covering mountain homemakers of the 1800s, late-in-life super hikers, women who started schools and medical practices in the mountains and accomplishments of first female director of the Greak Smokies.

[Emily Wallace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent. A wonderful collection of short stories from a variety of strong amazing women who were part of the Smokey Mountains. I love the way this book was illustrated and organized. Well done! It would be interesting to integrate some of these stories in to middle school curriculum.

[Amy Swafford · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful stories of the women who lived and worked in the Smokey Mountains. I feel such a strong connection to this area. I loved learning more about the land and the people.

[Lindsey Pewitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the only books I've reread multiple times

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have never read a book that made me want to read so many more books. 19 amazing, creative and intrepid woman brought their gifts to the Great Smoky Mountains, my backyard.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun read! I while reading each one of these women's personal stories I learned a great deal more about the local culture and history of the smokies throughout the last 200 years!

[Ann Adams · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book of interest for me as I'm a fan of the Smoky Mountains---both Tennessee and North Carolina sides!

[Mikaela · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent compendium of stories and souls. I'd love to own this one, just as a reference point for future research jumping off points.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

The strong sense of place and vibrant stories of spirited women included in this book will make you want to get up, go outside, hike somewhere adventurous and change the world! Overall, I found it interesting, enjoyable and inspiring!

[Kelly Armes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderfully written stories of great women of the Smokies! Very interesting!