Miracle in the Hills: The lively personal story of a woman doctor's forty-year crusade in the mountains of North Carolina

by Mary T. Martin Sloop, Legette Blythe (Contributor)

Dr.Sloop and her husband began their lifelong dedication to the mountain people when they rode horseback into the remote hill region of North Carolina in 1909. The conditions they encountered were shockingly primitive. The people had neither doctors,nor schools and were suspicious of medicine and "larnin'." Electricity and running water were unheard of, roads were rough mountain paths and the diet consisted of "hog meat, greens and grease." The main industry was moon shining.
Dr.Sloop declared a personal war on moonshiners, tracking down hidden still with a reluctant sheriff in tow. She fought against child marriages and in a region where girls often married at the age of fourteen. With the help of the mountain people, she reinvigorated the weaving trade, built a church and a modern well equipped hospital. Her spirited support of education resulted in a modern twenty-five-building school.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, School, Memoir, Read For School, Autobiography, Christian

212 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1953

About the author

1873-1962

Reviews

[Addison Wickey · Rating 1 out of 5]

Terrible book. Do not read

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the true story of Dr. Mary Martin Sloop and her husband who dedicated their lives to the mountain people of North Carolina in the early 1900's. They went to this area at first to provide medical care to the underserved area and found themselves doing much more than that. Their efforts resulted in running out moonshiners, building a modern school, teaching the people how to farm, as well as building a church and better roads.
The book was very interesting and gave me a better understanding of what life was like during this time in rural areas, but most importantly it taught me that one person really can make a lasting difference in this world. This book is fascinating, but a little slow in the beginning. Once you get past the first few chapters it's easy to get sucked in to a point where you can't put it down.

[Vada · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was terrible. Whoever edited this needs to go back and do it over and over again. The typos were so distracting that I could hardly focus on the story, and when I could, the theology was just as bad. Not to mention the fact that these people said they were missionaries, but they didn't really do any evangelizing. Most of the book was spent focusing on THEIR medical practices and THEIR accomplishments. That doesn't fall into the category of 'missionary' for me.

[Jessica · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really disliked this book...First, for the horrible editing. There were many, many, many mistakes. There were places where I couldn’t even decipher what the text was saying. Second, for the attitude of the author. Something in her attitude was just off. My daughter commented that the lady felt very highly of herself. Third, because there were things that they would say to people that really irked me, such as telling the kids if they prayed AND BEHAVED WELL ENOUGH, their prayers would be answered. We can’t earn God’s favor; God isn’t Santa. Fourth, it didn’t seem that they were too concerned with correct biblical thinking. Instead of helping the people see superstition for what it was, they would just adjust it for their situation. For instance, the people thought they couldn’t burn bandages because their wounds wouldn’t heal. Instead of helping them to understand that this wasn’t correct, they just told them that was only if you watched it burn. 🤦🏻‍♀️. Of all the missionary stories that I have read, this has been my least favorite. I don’t think I would have known this woman and her husband were missionaries had it not been for them saying they were.

[Bobbi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dr. Mary Sloop through stamina and a will of steel, founded Crossnore school in the North Carolina mountains. It was the turn of the century when Mary and her husband, both doctors, settled in Crossnore and began a medical practice. Mary decided that the children there must have education, eventually resulting in a huge boarding school complex; an amazing feat. It is still used today and is considered an excellent school for children with problems. I'm not sure how interesting this book will be to those who do not know about Crossnore School. I live about an hour's drive from there, so found the story fascinating.

[Liz Banks · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is written in the first person by the woman who started Crossnore School in Crossnore NC. At age 30, she was told by the Presbyterian Church that she was too old to become a missionary. She and her doctor husband left for the mountains of North Carolina to set up a clinic. Then they realized they needed a school. It was not until Chapter 30 that they began on a church because there was a Baptist Church people could worship at. They were both physicians. They saw the needs of the people: physical, educational, economical and spiritual and moral needs. It is a powerful story simply told.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an autobiography of the life of Dr. Mary Sloop and her husband also Dr. Sloop and there life in the mountains of North Carolina. Dr. Sloop speaks of all the advancements that they helped come about in the town of Crosnore such as electricity, higher education, better medicine, agriculture and many more things. The life of this woman is very amazing. This book is not like any other biography that you have ever read. I was hooked on the first page. I laughed and cried and was amazed by the wonderful mountain people in this book. A must read for anyone.

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Any book that mentions Mount Holyoke is a fine one in my mind! But, even had it not, this small book recounts a great woman who changed a lot in just one corner of the world as a doctor and educator. She is quite inspiring, seeing what needs to be done and not allowing any obstacles to stop her. I loved, too, the colorful tales of the mountain people she encountered and worked with. Definitely and enjoyable book.

[Ellie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A memoir about life in early 20th-century North (or was it South?) Carolina. A little slow at the beginning, but the tone of the woman whose memoir it is is quirky and hilarious.

[Miriam]

Memoir/biography the Doctors Sloop, their medical practice, and the founding of Crossnore schools at Crossnore, Avery County, North Carolina, covering 45 years until 1952.

[Barb Haller]

Fantastic

[Margo · Rating 4 out of 5]

True grit, leadership, faith, and persistence.

Marvelous account of dedicated doctors bringing good medical practice and opportunities to a rural NC hill community. Full of interesting people and honest but no whining about the many challenges. The tale starts with her efforts to become a doctor, then marrying, then creating a clinic and then school. Written in first person it has a lot of "and this happened and this happened." I found this a little annoying however the story is so interesting that I could overlook the style.

[Debbie Senft · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just happened upon this old copy of this book at the library and noticed the name Crosnore. I have a friend who works there and thought this would be good. It was. Amazing story told in the first person by the lady who lived it. Also describes a lot of the customs of the mountain people of NC.

[Silvia Schenk · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cannot believe this book was published in the early 50s. This woman should be taught about in schools - so forward thinking. She was really an inspiring and progressive individual.
This does read more like an interview than a story but it’s truly fascinating to learn about the “mountain people” of the early 1900s and how progressive they became.

[PJ CASSADA · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not my type of book but I can understand that this is an important and powerful story about how one Christian couple can change an entire community for the better in so many ways with their kindness and emotional investment.
This is a true story about a small mountain town who grew the lives and opportunities of dozens if not hundreds of families.

[Amber Kelly Crum · Rating 5 out of 5]

I grew up hearing a lot about Dr. Sloop and her husband because my family is from Avery County. I loved reading about them becoming small town mountain doctors and growing the community of Crossnore into what it is now today. Excellent read!

[Lexi · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐
This was a good book and an interesting story, but it got kinda dry. The version I read had some pictures and it was really cool to see those. Dr. Mary Sloop and her husband, who was also a doctor, helped many people and did many things for their community.
It's an inspiring story.

[Pershing48 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting primary account of rural NC from 1880 to 1940-ish. It's edited recollections published in 1953 so there are some pretty standard biases and blindspots. The author never once stops to think about why the little mountain town she moved to is 100% white.

[Anne Rife · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fairly poorly edited story about some very amazing people.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this story! This courageous couple set out 100 years ago and through sheer grit vastly changed and bettered the life of everyone in their remote part of North Carolina.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful narrative on a life of service to others. One of the best reads of 2020 for me!

[Suryanni · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very inspiring and interesting but not one that I would voluntarily read again.

[Jen Scheil · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book, entertaining author. You could really get a glimpse into the mountain lives and tribulations. There is a very religious vibe of this book.

[Greg · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well-written if somewhat cringe-y memoir surrounding the history of Crossnore and Appalachian mountain life in the early twentieth century. Sloop was a female physician (oddly enough, few stories are featured here about that aspect of her life) but was best known as a crusader for the importance of education and as a staunch Prohibitionist (for some reason I kept picturing Clara Edwards from The Andy Griffith Show the longer I read this). I was hoping for more details on the practice of medicine, but this is primarily focused on the history of the local school.

[Glena · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gives some historical background of The Crossnore School.

[Milt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Of a certain time, still going. Connections late and early. Some family mention, back when.

[Gracie Balben · Rating 2 out of 5]

it was fine