NEIGHBORING

by Mark Mattmiller

Mark Mattmiller has stitched together five short stories to capture the soul of rural life in Kentucky. The prevalence of small, hilly, and often poor farms led to the production of an acre or two of tobacco as a cash crop. The labor requirements for raising the crop were considerable, and sharing labor and equipment became necessary for the survival of everyone. Close, tight-made little communities followed. The characters are remarkably believable and their support for each other is vividly depicted.

154 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 29, 2013

Reviews

[Anjanette · Rating 2 out of 5]

All of the short stories ended very abruptly. It only took me about one hour to read. I would have DNFd if it was any longer…sweet setting, but lacking depth.

[Christopher Epling · Rating 5 out of 5]

So... I illustrated this amazing work, and that has to be the reason I gave it such a good rating, right? Well, no. Despite that my illustrations are in this book, the merits of Mark Mattmiller in giving the reader a truly genuine window into the lives of people from his area of focus is outstanding. I grew up in the same region referenced in his book, which makes me sort of an expert when it comes to what is relative about his writings, and what is generic. All I can say is that Mark Mattmiller's work is something pure, and something that adds to the culture of Central and Eastern Kentucky, Heck, it adds to the entire state. In college, I studied both political science and sociology. During my undergrad studies, there were many times when I had to read these long case studies about Appalachia, and portions of Kentucky. I say this because Mattmiller's work could easily be used termed as the most entertaining glimpse into a socio-graphic area I have ever had the privilege of reading. It is nothing short of a work of art.