The Blue Valleys: A Collection Of Stories

by Robert Morgan

From Civil War prison camps to contemporary trailer parks, these thirteen memorable tales of life in the Southern Appalachians come alive with an array of intriguing characters -- male and female, young and elderly, learned and unlearned. The separate passions and dreams of these individuals mirror the larger cultural and historical dramas of American life, revealing the strengthening and loosening of the strong bonds of families over generations.

Genres: Fiction, Short Stories

168 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1989

About the author

Robert Morgan is an American poet, short story writer, and novelist.

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

Reviews

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautifully written short stories that put the reader right there in every situation. Each situation depicts people where they are, who they are, and always real circumstances. The author is an accomplished writer, so each story is full of details that define each place, each character.

The collection is more than a 4, to me, but not quite a 5. The writing is a 5.

[Christina · Rating 2 out of 5]

Blue = Incredibly depressing. I won't go as far as to say don't read it, but do not consider reading this in one sitting. I also suggest reading this in the summertime so you can escape to the sunlight and leave Mr. Morgan's sad characters in their little pits of despair.

[Cody · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am loving these stories. The first one is too beautiful for words and heartbreaking at the same time.

[Libby · Rating 5 out of 5]

No doubt my favorite author. Not as good as Gap Creek but def worth your time.

[Rashel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked these short stories because of the way words melted together into straightforward sentences and because of the vernacular. There were phrases used (like filling station) that I recalled from my childhood once seeing them again. It brought back good feelings of a simpler time.

[Lynda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Robert Morgan's debut- his clear concise writing makes the lives of his characters in southern Appalachia spring to life. His writing provides an honest look into the hardships and struggles common to the area and the time period.

[Chuck McGrady · Rating 4 out of 5]

While this book of short stories was written sometime in the 1980's, the stories are somehow timeless. The stories are very different, and Morgan writes of WWII, marriage, death, old age, and a host of other things. Liked "Tailgunner" because it seemed so real.

[Kathiey V. · Rating 2 out of 5]

I would give this book to 2.5 out of five. This was my second attempt to read this book and both times I found it’s so depressing that I could not finish it. It was very sad and dark. Maybe if I finished it I would’ve found some light but I just couldn’t get into it

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a collection of short stories written by Robert Morgan who is most known for his novels. The stories in it rise up out of the mist like the mountains that they are set in, and give a short glimpse into peoples lives. Most are set in or shortly after a war, and most show the struggle with poverty that the region has often been associated with.
As always I read this book first because the places were near to my heart as I lived not far from some of the setttings many years ago. It was a short but enjoyable read for me.

[Katelyn Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

Superb. Prose crafted by a poet- each word perfectly chosen and each sentence willfully crafted. Sometimes heart-wrenching, sometimes magical- as any true southern writing should be. The author is true to the mountain characters he crafts, and the stories he tells are pared down, honest, yet somehow imbued with that magical blue ridge charm...

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book of short stories, and it took a North Carolina map and my dictionary to help me appreciate them even more. Morgan allows us to catch a brief glimpse into the lives of the characters he's created. He also made me incredibly nostalgic for some of the places of my childhood.

[Barb Bailey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although these short stories are well written, I found a lot of them a bit depressing.
The very first story in this collection set the stage for me. It was about a Civil War prisoner who was very ill and had lost a limb. Take from this what you may.... but not uplifting that's for sure.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every now and then, I like to take a break and pick up a book of short stories...this was not one of the better choices.

[Char · Rating 1 out of 5]

Lesson learned -- no more Robert Morgan short stories. In fact, how about no more short stories in general.

[Tom Darin Liskey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cross ties was simply wonderful. A gem of a collection.