The Hinterlands: A Mountain Tale in Three Parts

by Robert Morgan

Robert Morgan's first novel skillfully weaves Appalachian oral tradition about such things as prowling panthers, outlaws, and marauding Cherokees into a "tale in three parts." The first part centers on Petal Richards, who as a young bride leaves her family to accompany her husband into the mountains in search of a new frontier. In the second part, Petal's grandson, Solomon, describes how he surveyed the best route down the mountain in preparation for building the region's first road. In the third part, Solomon's son David, tells of building the first turnpike through the wilderness.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction

335 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 1999

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

[~Annaki~ · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have no idea how to rate this- it is a book in three parts and I really enjoyed the first part and was looking very much forward to the rest of the book, but then the two last parts were just so slow and repetitive with not much happening at all except repetition upon repetition upon rephrasing of repetition and by halfway through the second part I found myself skipping ahead and skimming large parts.
So for part 1 I'll give it 4 stars, while the remaining two parts barely make it to 2.

[Annie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've said before and I'll say again, Robert Morgan is an American treasure.

The Hinterlands is a bit different from other Robert Morgan books in that it has three parts, each from a different POV. Each part has the main character telling their stories to their grandchildren. The first part is the story of Petal Jarvis, who falls in love with the idea of a strapping man and the frontier and then deals with the reality of a mortal man and the mountains. Next is the story of Petal's grandson, Samuel, who follows a pig to his destiny. The final part is David, Samuel's son, who brings a road, and the end of his family's way of life, into the mountains. All of the stories involve very hard work (makes my back ache just reading it) and the threat of panthers (the scariest and most dangerous of all the wild American animals), snakes and spiders. Thrills, humor and tension abound, along with somber understanding. Other than the incredible writing and his beautiful way of writing women, what I love about Robert Morgan's work is that I always learn something about my country's history which sets me to learn more. And I always, always, hate to see them end.

[Asha Stark · Rating 2 out of 5]

Right up to the maybe 70% mark, I really thought this was going somewhere smh

Edit: A solid THIRD of this book is a guy running through the mountains of Carolina holding on to the tail of a pig. This isn't a metaphor, I mean literally.

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

I understand why people don't like the entire book, mainly because each story is completely different and complies to different tastes. I loved the idea of Appalachian story-telling in three generations all based on one central theme: the trace/road/turnpike. First story is great, probably the best. The second story was what I enjoyed the most: pig-chasin', still-findin', trouble-makin' comedy throughout. This book was one of my favorites.

[Lucy Woodhouse · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book. Three stories within the book over 5 or 6 generations. His descriptions of events make you feel like you are there. Wonderful book.

[Annette]

Such a sad moment when they're burying Little Eller. So, why does the author end that chapter with the crows and corn and scarecrow?...

"It's worries and troubles keeps preachers in business. If people was happy they might not need so many preachers and revival meetings."

"The man's eyes was green as the slime in a ditch."

Why does the author use the name Solomon Richards when almost everyone around here knows about Solomon Jones and his pig?!!

Could the politician Lance be Zebulon Vance?.... So many things I'd like to ask this author!!

[Jane Mettee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This author did some good story telling! Just like any entertaining family yarn, adventures are exaggerated or at least expanded a bit from reality. Especially the pig story. What a tale/tail. I enjoyed learning about life in the hill country of the south. I've never been there and the author grew up there. I liked the first story the most showing the hardships pioneers went through.

[Emily Wilkinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Captivating tales of a family throughout three generations that each encounter a ‘painter’, black panther. The three stories are told in an 1800’s North Carolina backwoods dialect that is entertaining to read. I felt like I was listening to an elder family member retell the best of the best in how they survived ‘back then.’

[Fionna Davy]

The story mostly flows well, and as others have said the first story about setting up a homestead in the wilderness is the most interesting. Cute colloquial speak can't make up for it getting boring and being pretty unbelievable though.

[Francie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this a long time ago but I remember loving the story telling and enjoying the way the three stories linked together. The first story is definitely the most memorable, but I enjoyed the whole book.

[Shelley Hinojos · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a great writer. Sue the pig was so entertaining and made one think about the difficulty of road building which never crossed my brain before. Morgan really has developed such a knowledge of many things and makes you see the past so colorfully.

[Phil · Rating 1 out of 5]

I agree very much with another reader ...first part is smashing ...four stars...then parts 2 and 3 very poor, long winded far fetched repitition so overall a 1! I didn't finish it which is extremely unusual for me!

[Janice · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story. I couldn't put it down.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

You definitely get glimpses of the poet Robert Morgan, but the middle section was just too jumbled and required too much suspension of belief (that poor pig!). Loved Petal's story and voice.

[Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

good

[Brenda mitchell · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was a well written book. First story was really good. Wish he wrote more books.

[Joan Colby · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of Morgan’s first novels, told in three parts and set in the Carolina Appalachians. The first part The Trace told by Petal and set in 1772 is wonderful with remarkable details of daily life in the “hinterlands”. My only caveat is that the idea of the husband Realus deluding Petal as to her whereabouts for 8 years seems implausible. Also unexplained is the identity of the man killed by the Indians and dressed in scarecrow clothing that Petal assumes is Realus. Morgan’s lack of experience with the novel shows in this debut. The next two sections: The Road and The Turnpike are far less interesting, The Road being essentially a prolonged “yarn” . One can see the genesis of Morgan’s more successful later efforts in these tales.

[Betty Jones]

An Appalachian writer. This book is a trilogy based on his ancestors' stories. I genuinely like the first part when Petal falls in love with a man who takes her to the Holston in the 1700's. It follows their trials & tribulations and how they carve out a life in the wilderness. The next two portions were not as interesting to me.

[Bobbi · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked the first story, after that it was downhill.

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh. Pretty good. First section was best. The interesting two other sections were toooooooo verbose.