Hill Man

by Janice Holt Giles

Hill Man , set in the Kentucky Hills, is the story of the ambitious and lustful Rady Cromwell and three women. According to Giles, Rady was emblematic of men in his time and place, "men who know no law but their own wills and desires, and have no evidence of conscience. Rady is no fiction. He is fact." Hill Man was the only novel Janice Holt Giles wrote using a pseudonym. Although appreciative of her first publisher, the religiously oriented Westminster Press, she became increasingly dismayed that editors trimmed her books down "to pure sweetness and light." Hill Man was her most provocative work and also allowed her to experiment in the racier mass market paperback genre. Citing concern for her burgeoning reputation (having published her first four books with a religious publisher and the last with Houghton Mifflin), Janice elected to use the pseudonym John Garth. After Hill Man , she settled in to producing the historical fiction that for the most part defined her literary career.

192 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1954

About the author

Janice Holt Giles was an American writer best known for her series of pseudo historical novels focusing on life on the American frontier, particularly within Kentucky.

Reviews

[Art · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Comparsion of a story told about an Englishman of Wealth and means and a young KY boy who wants to make something of himself.
Great understanding of life in the Hills of SouthCentral KY.

[Josie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Old timey

I enjoy reading old books. This was different from most I have read. The main character, Rady, is not likable by today's standards. Once you get into this book you definitely want to find out what happens. Cringe worthy morals, kind of interesting that a woman wrote this.

[Mitzi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another gem from Janice Holt Giles - don't let that truly awful cover art fool you! She originally had to release it under the pseudonym of John Garth, due to the sexual themes in the story - which are quite interesting by the way, and very tame by modern standards. The character of Rady is so well done, Giles presents him to the reader in all his ambitious, charming, and scandalous glory - with no apologies.

[Martha · Rating 3 out of 5]

born poor, married up and again up and managed to lose it all but was on way up as book ended