Appalachian Boy: Revised Edition Paperback – May 13, 2023

This book follows the adventures of a mountain boy as he assumes the responsibilities of the father who died when he was nine. From killing hogs to selling muskrat furs to Sears and Roebuck, he did what he had to do to help his family survive. His pictures of life in a small mountain town debunk the idea that the people of the Appalachian Mountains were isolated from the culture and values of the rest of the country. Above all, it celebrates the triumphal spirit of an Appalachian Boy. * * * * *Ronald McKinney’s Appalachian Boy is the perfect antidote for the still prevalent national view of Appalachia as a place of intergenerational ignorance and poverty. McKinney proves to be a storyteller of the first rank. This charming and elegant memoir is the rural equivalent of the classic The Education of Henry Adams. Appalachian Boy is particularly well suited for classroom use, and it should be on every teacher’s reading list since it provides a timeless set of insights that are of lasting value for students of all ages, no matter where they live. Adults will also find Appalachian Boy to be engrossing escapism on the level of the L.L. Bean catalog or a favorite film. Charles Alan Watkins III, Ph.D., Former Director, The Appalachian Cultural Museum and Professor of Museum Studies, Appalachian State University, Former Professor, Historic Preservation, Salve Regina University, Newport, RI Ron McKinney’s memoir of a young boy in southern Appalachia is full of stories that mesmerize the reader. His growing up in the 1940’s and 50’s is so different from what many of us “city” folk shared; it’s like reading a male version of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s stories. It is easy to read, I truly believe this book should be on my grandchildren’s bookshelves, but also should appear in the libraries of all theater departments and film studios as a resource of what life was REALLY like in those times in the mountains. My thanks to the author for his precious tales of mountain life. Sandy Grisham, Professor, Northwest Mississippi Community College Oxford, MS. Read more