Shenandoah Secrets

by Carolyn Reeder

Book by Reeder, Carolyn

Genres: History

184 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 1991

About the author

Carolyn Reeder was an American writer best known for children's historical novels. She also wrote three non-fiction books about Shenandoah National Park for adults together with her husband. She won the Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction.

Reviews

[Marta E C R · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the last of 3 books I've read out loud to my husband over the past several weeks around a trip to Shenandoah National Park and the Shenandoah Valley. The other two were an old one (around 1940) called Legends of the Skyline Drive and the Great Valley of Virginia, and a newer one by Sue Eisenfeld called Shenandoah: A Story of Conservation and Betrayal. I'm glad we read them in the order we did, and they really meshed nicely together, sharing some information but each providing unique bits of its own. This one was published in 1991 and I bought it in 2014 on a trip there, but hadn't read it until now. One thing which would have improved it would have been to provide a map of the area in the book. I was working with a map of the Park, and it did not provide enough details to always know the location being written about. I find it fascinating to learn more of the history of places I visit.

[Ocean G · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great compendium of stories from the Shenandoah valley area. I really enjoy reading stories like these, especially having recently been there. Actually, they make me want to go again and find some of these places.

Some interesting short stories:


"One autumn day, the teacher at the Simmons Gap
Mission School noticed an unpleasant smell and traced
it to one of her students. She sent a note home asking
the mother to give her child a bath. When nothing
changed, the teacher sent another note. Finally, she
told the child to ask her mother to bathe her. The next
day the little girl came back with a message:
her
mother said she'd been sewn into her clothes for the
winter and wouldn't be let out till June!"


"John Henry Bolen spent the Civil War
years
evading the conscriptors who
combed the area looking for men of
draft age. Once the conscriptors came
Beulah
in the daytime when John Henry was
in the house, and he had no way to
escape. Thinking fast, he sent his wife
outside and had her walk toward Pig-
nut Mountain hitting two shingles to-
gether. Since the conscriptors thought
she was signaling her husband to stay
away, they didn't bother to go into the
house.
When the conscriptors came on a
summer night, John Henry and a friend
took refuge in the chimney, one standing on the other's
shoulders. Mrs. Bolen slapped the baby playing on the
floor near the hearth so Its crying would mask any noise
they made.
Eventually, though, John Henry Bolen and his
friend were caught and taken to an army camp, but they
escaped and came home- wearing out their shoes on the
way."


https://4201mass.blogspot.com/

[Marieta Grissom · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quite an anthology of stories collected from a large variety of places and people. Certainly the research that went into this project is admirable. I enjoyed reading the stories, though I found them a little disjointed and lacking continuity. This collection would be a treasure for people who have roots in this region. Being from the Midwest I have only visited Shenandoah National Park one time for only a couple days. This book would be good to read prior to a visit; now I wish I could return.

[Catherine Richmond]

The Appalachian Trail, especially through Shenandoah National Park, has become too popular. This book encourages hikers to explore other areas of the park and learn about the history and inhabitants of the area.

[Tina D · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed the local stories; made our trip to the area all the more memorable