Flat Rock Journal: A Day in the Ozark Mountains

by Ken Carey

Shares a day-long spiritual journey through the natural world of the Missouri Ozarks, where the author and his wife have lived for twenty years

Genres: Nature, Memoir, Nonfiction

230 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1994

About the author

Ken Carey has been conducting workshops on education and the environment for more than ten years. He is the author of several books, including ‘The Starseed Transmissions’, ‘Vision’ and ‘The Third Millennium’.

Reviews

[Tania · Rating 3 out of 5]

Flat Rock Journal was an enjoyable ramble through the woods. There was too much new age sentiment and sentimentality for my taste, but that was usually redeemed by Carey's apparent self-knowledge of the tendency and by his obvious enjoyment in the moment and place he was in. I particularly enjoyed the chapter with the frog chorus.

[T.R. Ormond · Rating 2 out of 5]

A bit too close to new age for my taste...

[David Robertson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Part memoir, part natural history, and (a large) part New Age/hippy-dippy mysticism. Author Carey owns (owned?) an 80-acre, mostly forested farm in the wooded Missouri Ozark Mountains. The book's conceit is that Carey undertakes a day-long springtime walk through a forested limestone hollow along an intermittent spring-fed stream running through his property. The various locations and sensory inputs along the route resurrect memories and recollections from Carey's childhood in Chicago though his impulsive purchase of the farm and continuing with his family's move and settling on the property. For me, there was not enough emphasis on the Ozark natural history and too much focus on the mysticism.

[Cathy Houston · Rating 5 out of 5]

amazing writing; best of this type since Pilgrim at Tinker Creek

[Zach Tolar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Favorite book this year

[Ginger · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an interesting view of one day in the Ozark Mountains. The writing style is interesting--detailed and poetic in many ways. His views are "unusual" in many areas. :) I enjoyed the descriptions of the local area; especially his hours in a tree during a thunder and lightning storm.

[Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of my favorite books. The way he speaks about his daily life and the way he lives is inspiring.

[Dale · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maybe I was just rubbed the wrong way, but while this is a very interesting read I found Mr. Carey to be a bit pretentious at times. Still, I'd recommend it.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful book. Simple, straightforward, thought-provoking, mindful. I can't think of a better book to read on a hammock in West Virginia.

[Jaret · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really cool book. Gets a bit too new agey for me at times but his prose is so good I tend to forgive him. The chapter on the raven and the one on frogs were my favorites.

[Molly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it! Such a familiar setting. And, his interesting spiritual insights/experiences were unexpected to me and yet, also familiar.

[Wendy]

(found read date in diary)