Gap Creek : The Story Of A Marriage (Oprah's Book Club)

Amazon.com

Oprah Book Club® Selection, January 2000: Robert Morgan's Gap Creek opens with one wrenching death and ends with another. In between, this novel of turn-of-the-century Appalachian life works in fire, flood, swindlers, sickness, and starvation--a truly biblical assortment of plagues, all visited on the sturdy shoulders of 17-year-old Julie Harmon. "Human life don't mean a thing in this world," she concludes. And who could blame her? "People could be born and they could suffer, and they could die, and it didn't mean a thing.... The world was exactly like it had been and would always be, going on about its business." For Julie, that business is hard physical labor. Fortunately, she's fully capable of working "like a man"--splitting and hauling wood, butchering hogs, rendering lard, planting crops, and taking care of the stock. Even when Julie meets and marries handsome young Hank Richards, there's no happily-ever-after in store. Nothing comes easy in Julie Harmon's world, and their first year together is no exception.

Throughout the novel, Morgan chronicles Julie's trials in prose of great dignity and clarity, capturing the rhythms of North Carolina speech by using only the subtlest of inflections. Clearly the author has done his research too--the descriptions of physical labor practically leap off the page. (Suffice to say, you'll learn far more about hog slaughtering than you ever dreamed of knowing.) Yet he resists the temptation to make his long-suffering characters into saints. Julie simmers with resentment at being her family's workhorse, and Hank flies into a helpless rage whenever he feels that his authority is questioned. In novels like The Truest Pleasure and The Hinterlands, Morgan proved his ability to create memorable heroines. In Gap Creek, he writes with great feeling--but not a touch of sentimentality--about a life Julie aptly calls "both simple and hard."

Book Description

The National Bestseller A New York Times Notable Book

There is a most unusual woman living in Gap Creek. Julie Harmon works hard, "hard as a man" they say, so hard that at times she's not sure she can stop. People depend on her.

She is just a teenager when her brother dies in her arms. The following year, she marries Hank and moves down into the valley. Julie and Hank discover that the modern world is complex, grinding ever on without pause or concern for their hard work. To survive, they must find out whether love can keep chaos and madness at bay.

With Julie, Robert Morgan has brought to life one of the most memorable women in modern American literature with the skill that led Fred Chappell to say "Gap Creek is the work of a master."

Customer Reviews:

A novel to climb inside and toss the key.......2007-07-06

Robert Morgan pulls the reader into his story almost without trying. The voice of Julie, the protagonist is one of the most natural and quietly alluring I've yet read. He is using language in a way that most writers ache to create. I prayed this novel would not end. I prayed for a sequel. You will cry for Julie and you will feel a pang in your heart for Hank, but all the characters are loveable in some way or another. There are trials of living in the wilderness, and then there are insurmountable odds; Julie champions all of them. She holds her husband up when he trips and falls over and over. Not once, does Julie stop to set and feel sorry for herself; she lets the reader do that. My jaw dropped again and again. Her suffering couldn't possibly compound. There were times when I just shook my head at Hanks actions. This writer knows men and women inside and out. The intricacies of marriage are laid thread bare and one does not easily find such honesty in writing.

The title: "The story of a marriage," is so correct. There are common denominators that every couple goes through: desire, spirituality, money issues, child birth and loss of a child, depression, isolation, family issues, poverty, shelter, making a living; its all there. this is like a manual of how it could be, and what issues couples should plan on dealing with.

Moving on, the visual scenery is like walking inside a life painting akin to a Southen Monet; I could feel the brustrokes of the golden leaves; the fall air climbs outside of the novel and lifts the pages.
You can feel that flood water rising inside the house. I could even smell
the barn.

Lyricism, stoicism, and superior story telling. Do not let this one flee from your readers clasp.

More gushing......one of the best lines of the novel that shows Julie's refusal to give up: "I throwed another log on the fire." In one word, "throwed," you get a feel for her personality, on a scale of lovability she's a twelve; her iron will just does not stop; and you desperately want her to come out with at least a years worth of warm and sunshine.

There are laughable moments and Julie even gets to talk smack to the know it all mother-in-law and the reader cannot help but cheer her on.
There is a town drunk that you can't help but feel sorry for. Two Amazing Grace church scenes that correctly display Julie and Hanks spiritual trappings. The great american novel does not get any better, these are big words for a little novel. But to be sure, Gap Creek, is no small thing.

Should be required reading for grades 6-12.

Gap Creek.......2007-01-28

This novel is a heartbreaker. The story is written quite well, but the plot is overly dramatic. If you can think of a horrible thing to happen to someone, it probably happened in this book.

A tale of stark, raw daily survival.......2006-11-08

Seventeen-year-old Julie Harmon is no stranger to hard manual labor, especially after the death of her father, leaving her the main support for her mother and sisters in their remote mountain home. So when Hank asks her to marry him, she thinks any life they build together will be easy by comparison.

Within weeks, Julie learns just how much hardship the two will have to face in order to make it day to day. Deaths, natural disasters and mean-spirited opportunists combine in such formidable force that the young couple is almost beaten before they've started.

In times like these, Julie and Hank often wonder what it's all worth...but with time, they learn just how much they do need and love one another, and the fledgling life together they're nourishing.

Lemoney snickets...a series of unfortunate events.......2006-10-06

Read this a while back. The book is about a young couple whose lives are filled with poverty, loss and a series of misfortunes. You feel for Julie and the hardwork she does every day and grow to root for her even when she does some foolish things (won't say what). It also shows that love can endure the most difficult periods in one's life. Overall, it was a well-told story, well written.

I MUST BE A GLUTTON FOR PUNISHMENT..............2006-07-22

In general, I usually do not buy "Oprah" books since most of them are "downers" featuring disfunctional families or folks with so many problems you come away from the read in need of Prozac. I thought I would attempt one last Oprah book. Unfortunately, it was Gap Creek! Just how may bad things can happen to one character? This novel is permeated with detailed descriptions of difficult and unpleasant chores performed by Julie, the main character, interwoven with the unrelenting and excruciating anguish she experiences. Granted, the story begins in the last year of the nineteenth century when life was harder and survival required strong will and tenacity but this woman deserves nothing less than a Congressional Medal of Honor. The men she encounters (including her husband) are boorish and insensitive and the finite emotional nourishment she receives comes from other women. Perhaps the author meant the story to be inspirational, but I found it thoroughly depressing.

Average customer rating:

Gap Creek - The Story Of A Marriage
Robert Morgan
Manufacturer: Algonquin Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000RIXXW2

Gap Creek : The Story Of A Marriage (Oprah's Book Club)

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Gap Creek : The Story Of A Marriage (Oprah's Book Club)
Robert Morgan
Manufacturer: Touchstone
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000RRX4LI

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Gap Creek the Story of a Marriage
Robert Morgan
Manufacturer: SIMON & SCHUSTER @ TRADE
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000SEYO14

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Gap Creek: The Story of a Marriage
Robert Morgan
Manufacturer: Touchstone Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000NW4C8G

$O'Hurley's Return: Skin Deep\Without A Trace$
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O'Hurley Return

Oldie but goodie

O'Hurley's Return: Skin Deep/Without A Trace

Utterly fascinated

Disappointed
O'Hurley's Return: Skin Deep\Without A Trace
Nora Roberts
Manufacturer: Silhouette
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Romance | Subjects | Books
General | Roberts, Nora | ( R ) | Authors, A-Z | Romance | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0373285078

Book Description

Skin Deep
Chantel O'Hurley has parlayed talent, breathtaking beauty-and indominable will-into stardom. But though she needs Quinn Doran's protection now, the sexy, cynical P.I. Utterly infuriates her. . .threatening to melt her icy façade and ignite her heart.

Without a Trace
A life of adventure and intrigue has left Trace O'Hurley bitter and world-weary. But in the innocent arms of spirited damsel-in-distress Gillian Fitzpatrick, Trace finds himself longing for the life-and family-he left behind.

New York Timesbestselling author Nora Roberts creates unforgettable families--so prepare to be captivated by the O'Hurley's, whose lives are as remarkable as their unconventional beginnings. The dazzling O'Hurley triplets and their renegade older brother have each followed a very different destiny. Now the family is reunited in this special 2-in-1 volume.

Customer Reviews:

O'Hurley Return.......2007-02-01

I just love reading Nora Robert's books. Thes two story's are just great.

Oldie but goodie.......2006-10-22

This book contains the last 2 stories of the wonderful O'Hurley siblings.
In Skin Deep you have the story of Chantal the oldest triplet. She is the beautiful Hollywood actress who finds herself being stalked and harrassed by an unknown over eager fan. She reluctantly hires Quinn Doran to protect her and help find out who is messing with her. Quinn soon discovers her beauty is more than just Skin Deep.
In without a Trace we finally find out what older brother Trace O'Hurley has been up to all these years. Dr. Gillian Fitzpatrick offfers him $100,000 to help her find her brother and neice who have been kidnapped for their scientific knowledge of a project called Horizon. Gillian and Trace have an adventure ahead of them. Finally there is an O'Hurley reunion at the end.
This is a good early Nora Roberts book. I think you will enjoy it.

O'Hurley's Return: Skin Deep/Without A Trace.......2005-07-21

Nora Roberts' characters become your friends and you can't wait to see what happens!

Utterly fascinated .......2005-04-20

Talented beauty, Chantel O'Hurley, hires sexy, cynical P.I. Quinn Doran, and finds herself utterly fascinated and infuriated with him at the same time.

Reviewed by Janet Sue Terry author of the Set Me Free Series -Possibilities and Resolutions. President of Just My Best Book Publishing Company. www.janetsueterry.com

Disappointed.......2005-04-04

I guess I should have read the review of this 'new release' of an older (2) novel(s).

I love Nora Roberts, but she's so much better than this now! I've grown with her over the years and was a little disappointed that I fell for the new cover, thinking a new book. A waste of money for any Nora Roberts fan.

2 Book Set By Nora Roberts; Born O'Hurley (Tha Last Honest Woman; Dance to the Piper); O'Hurley's Return (Skin Deep; Without a Trace)

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2 Book Set By Nora Roberts; Born O'Hurley (Tha Last Honest Woman; Dance to the Piper); O'Hurley's Return (Skin Deep; Without a Trace)
Nora Roberts
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000W1YB6G

Product Description

2 Book Set By Nora Roberts; Born O'Hurley (Tha Last Honest Woman; Dance to the Piper); O'Hurley's Return (Skin Deep; Without a Trace).

O'hurley's Return - Contains Skin Deep and Without A Trace

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O'hurley's Return - Contains Skin Deep and Without A Trace
Nora Roberts
Manufacturer: Silhouette Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000NY2ZHO

Average customer rating:

O'hurley's Return - Contains Skin Deep and Without A Trace
Nora Roberts
Manufacturer: SILHOUETTE BOOKS
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000K1UDTC

Pelman #02: The Wizard in Waiting, Book 2
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Pelman #02: The Wizard in Waiting, Book 2
Robert Don Hughes
Manufacturer: Del Rey Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

General | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0345011120

The Wizard in Waiting
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The Wizard in Waiting
Robert Don Hughes
Manufacturer: Del Rey
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OVFUKK

Average customer rating:

Fun, interesting read - Couldn't put it down

The Wizard in Waiting
Robert Don Hughes
Manufacturer: Del Rey
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

General | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
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The Power & the Prophet: (#3) (Pelmen the Powershaper, Book 3)

ASIN: 0345285743
Release Date: 1982-01-12

Customer Reviews:

Fun, interesting read - Couldn't put it down.......1999-02-16

I finished this book a few minutes ago. I suppose you can guess how much I liked it by the fact that I'm now searching Amazon for more titles by Mr. Hughs. It was entirely readable--Hughs has a natural voice, one that speaks on the level of the reader. He kept the action going, made me really love the characters, and intrigued me with the world he created. Hope you give the book a try!

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The Wizard in Waiting
robert don hughes
ProductGroup: Book
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Waiting for the wizard? Six more days till Book 6.(Arts & Literature): An article from: The Register-Guard (Eugene, OR)

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Waiting for the wizard? Six more days till Book 6.(Arts & Literature): An article from: The Register-Guard (Eugene, OR)

Manufacturer: The Register Guard
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
ASIN: B000ALUZL8
Release Date: 2005-07-25

Book Description

This digital document is an article from The Register-Guard (Eugene, OR), published by The Register Guard on July 10, 2005. The length of the article is 942 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Waiting for the wizard? Six more days till Book 6.(Arts & Literature)
Publication: The Register-Guard (Eugene, OR) (Newspaper)
Date: July 10, 2005
Publisher: The Register Guard
Page: G1

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Book Description

Written by a hematologist-oncologist specializing in myeloma treatment, and featuring insider advice from an actual patient, this book is an invaluable resource for anyone coping with the physical and emotional turmoil of this frightening disease.

Customer Reviews:

100 questions & answers about Myeloma.......2007-05-31

I found this book very informative. My father was diagnosised with Multiple Myeloma and I have a somewhat better understanding about the disease. I highly reccommend it for any family member of a person with MM or the person themselves.

Title Tells All.......2007-02-21

Just like the title says: this book, intended for those (and their caregivers) newly diagnosed with myeloma, answers 100 general questions you're likely to have when confronted with this nasty blood cancer. Co-written by an oncologist and a myeloma patient. No substitute for actual treatment, to state the obvious, but a good primer that doesn't have to be read cover to cover for the informative value it provides.

Excellent initial resource book about MM.......2005-05-21

This small book represents a very tidy, concise, informative introduction to this rare disease, multiple myeloma. It is a very complicated disease process, and whether you have some basic medical knowledge or not, the reader will appreciate how easy it is to extract information and answers to questions.

Written by a physician specializing in the disease and a patient who has experienced the worst of what this disease can offer, together they deliver hope and basic knowledge so a patient, care giver or relative can make informed decisions.

I am personally inspired by the patient (and author) James W Huston. There are real and promising treatments and he quite simply embodies the term survivor. I would like to express my appreciation to Dr. A Bashey as well. I urge you to get this book as a excellent first resource to aid you and your family or friends in the fight against myeloma.

Ingenious Gadgets: Guess the Obscure Purpose of Over 100 Eccentric Contraptions
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A Fun Look at Some Really Weird Contraptions!

Ingenious Gadgets: Guess the Obscure Purpose of Over 100 Eccentric Contraptions
Maurice Collins , and Ian Kearey
Manufacturer: David & Charles Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Book Description

-General interest and quirky appeal

-Competitive gift price

-Attractive small format A cuff holder used by poker cardsharks to hide the ace up their sleeves, an electric comb from the 1920s, an automatic shaving cream filler and brush to help save time in the mornings. It's a wonder these crazy devices never took off! In this zany and fascinating book, collector Maurice Collins's presents over 100 bizarre and ingenious antique gadgets from the days of yore.

Fascinating and humorous, this innovative book will engage and amuse every reader. From the watch camera of the 1900s to the perfect 1920s camping cup of tea, the intriguing creations in this book are a testament to human ingenuity and resourcefulness.

Customer Reviews:

A Fun Look at Some Really Weird Contraptions!.......2006-05-26

Originally published in England, this book showcases 100+ weird and wacky - and sometimes, really nifty - gadgets from the last 100 years. Nuts-and-bolts fans and antiquers will love this book; it's a hoot!

Paging through this book is like stepping back into history. You marvel at the inventiveness of those nameless not-always-crackpot inventors who came up with...

a Clockwork Fly Scarer to chase flies away from Victorian dinner tables...
a Sack Tying machine for circa 1890s Americans to use on their sacks...
or a Depression-era Bread Slicer to slice that loaf really thin and make it last longer..

And then there's off-the-wall items like Asthma Necklaces, Whiskey Containers hidden in imitation binoculars, Tennis Ball Cleaners, a Miser's Snuff Box and a Wrist Fire Siren!

It's all funny and educational at the same time. This would make a wonderful stocking stuffer for any number of people!

Buy - Enjoy!

Book Description

In our age of technology and mass production, the exquisitely handcrafted, one-of-a-kind object continues to delight the imagination and inspire reverence. Objects for Use is the first panoramic survey of contemporary craft in over a decade, and the only one now in print.

The more than 300 objects by 200 artists run the full gamut of function. They include glass, ceramics, interior furnishings and accessories, kitchen utensils and knives, quilts, musical instruments, games and toys, fishing gear, and more. Accompanying a major exhibition at the American Craft Museum in New York City, this matchless volume pays tribute to a culturally diverse group of craftspeople--and a uniquely American spirit of creativity.

Objects for Use: Handmade by Design
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Objects for Use: Handmade by Design
Smith Paul J. (editor)
Manufacturer: Harry N Abrams Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000MYU2HA

Book Description

Designed to help both professionals and novices utilize feng shui principles, Feng Shui Principles for Building and Remodeling provides you with practical floor plans and ideas for redesigning and creating living spaces. The authors explain why certain strategies are beneficial and show you how feng shui can improve your life as well as your living quarters. You will find the more than 100 blueprints included in the book to be helpful as well as inspirational in your search for balance and happiness in your life.

Customer Reviews:

It is not what I expected.......2006-07-18

I am going to build muy custom house and I want to do it according to the Feng Shui. I was expecting to find many Feng Shui floor plans samples...well let me tell you that not, it has not many Feng Shui floor plans, such a few, and most of them do not match what the book says. I mean that most of the foor plans are not according to Feng Shui bagua grid (occidental), i.e.: bathroom is Wealth area, when it is known in all schools that bathroom can't be placed there.
I found just 1 floor plan, so it is not worthly to get this book if you are looking for Feng Shui floor plans.

The Best "Feng Shui" for ocidental people.......2006-02-20

The School of Pyramid Feng Shui is adapted to the ocidental people. No focus on directions belonging to an element or not. Is centered in the harmony of the nature cycles where all the elements of nature (colors, sounds, shapes, etc.)and people with their houses must achieved balance. Very good reading. With lots of questions and cases, thinking in all situations (a home for a familiy, for a couple, or just one person). If you liked, probably you'll buy (like me) the other book of Nancilee Wydra "Feng Shui goes to the office".

Very nice!.......2004-05-19

This is a great book! It is not based on the traditional feng shui, but ascribes to pyramid feng shui. So if you are looking for why everyone in the house experiences the same illness that cropped up when you moved in, this may not fit the bill. But it addresses the flow of chi and the balance of yin/yang in detail. It is a great read and opens you up to the different sounds, textures, smells and visual apects of your home that makes a home interesting and appealing to everyone that experiences it. It literally brings your awareness to the fact that your home is a live energy.

Excellent Resource!.......2003-05-23

As a registered interior designer and certified Feng Shui professional, I found this book to be an interesting read. It will help designers and architects, as well as homeowners, analyze space and make informed decisions as to build or remodel. The charts are easy to follow and right on point. This book is filled with illustrations that are wonderful in demonstrating the ideas being presented. The "forward thinking" floorplans at the end of the book show that these two authors understand the diversity of how people live today and how their homes could be better designed to meet their needs.

A Must Read for Building & Remodeling.......2003-04-02

I found this book to be a "must read" if you are planning to build or remodel and it is easy to understand. My husband and I are building a home and we found this book to be a vital resource for our decision making. It helped us select the outside colors, wall colors, flooring, lighting, window coverings, as well as furniture placement. In our meeting to finalize the floor plan with the builder, his wife was so impressed with our feedback and rationale that she asked me to get her the book!

Book Description

365 is the American Institute of Graphic Art's annual presentation of the best in American design, featuring cutting-edge projects selected by a jury of preeminent designers and design critics from a year of design activity in the U.S. This year's awards are divided into a suite of 13 narrowly focused, independently judged competitions, including typographic design, illustration, editorial design, environmental graphic design, design for film and television, experience design, brand and identity systems design, and--the competition dearest to our own hearts--book design: 50 books/50 covers. Conceived by AIGA in conjunction with award-winning Houston-based Rigsby Design, who've put together a charming, refreshingly straightforward, McSweeney-esque package, this year's version of 365 includes 13 short essays by top design critics that contextualize the ever changing landscape of contemporary graphic design. In addition, AIGA's 2002 medalists, Robert Brownjohn and Christopher Pullman, are profiled in insightful biographical essays and retrospective portfolios. All artwork is reproduced in color and accompanied by detailed captions listing the designers, illustrators, photographers, typographers, printers, and others involved in the creation and production of the year's notable designs. Jurors' comments and statements about the design process help to further elucidate the featured projects.

Who were the designers, illustrators, photographers, typographers, and printers involved in this year's most notable designs?

Edited by Alice Twemlow.
Essays by Andrea Codrington, Richard Eckersley, Peter Hall, Jessica Helfand, Julie Lasky, David Womack and Michael Worthington.

Hardcover, 7.25 x 12 in., 508 pages, 450 color & 15 b/w Illustrations

Customer Reviews:

At the intersection of design and experience.......2003-09-06

365
Talking about book design. Standing tall and white, the new 23rd AIGA 365 Design Annual expresses my thoughts, and I applaud it for its cover design. The centered title "The Twenty-third Annual of the American Institute of Graphic Arts" is printed on a thin uncoated paper that wraps around the front and back cover. On the front cover the number "365" is printed in black and barely shines through the wrapper appearing as a ghost underneath the title. To me it suggests the 365 days that will sink into oblivion and that, as with everything past, we will have to wait patiently for those moments of re-emerging experiences. Good design happens in us.

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