Cryptids!

 

So what exactly is a cryptid?  It’s a creature unknown to science but rumored to exist.  Some of the most famous are Bigfoot aka Sasquatch aka the Yeti, the Loch Ness Monster, and Mothman, but there are many others.  While stories about them have been around for years, they seem to be enjoying a resurgence recently in books, movies, TV shows, and in art—just check out some of the offerings in local craft shops.  In fact, HollerHouse in downtown Bristol is having an exhibition, The Cryptozoologist, starting June 7, 2024.

We all thought this was such a fun idea that we put up a book display. Okay, so Andrew did all the work. Anyway, if we have piqued your interest, here are some of the non-fiction books we suggest:

The West Virginia Book of Monsters by George Dudding and John Dudding note that West Virginia is known for “punching above its weight” in several areas and cryptids is a prime example.  West Virginia is home to the iconic Mothman and a personal new favorite, the Flatwoods Monster.   But wait, there’s more! In this book you will also learn about the Grafton Monster, the Wampus Cat, and the Snallygaster, just to name a few.

Chasing American Monsters by Jason Offutt covers the fifty states in alphabetical order, giving brief reports on some of the most notable creatures spied there.  This is a good choice if you are only interested in cryptids in particular states.  The book claims more than 250 beasts are described within, and the author even tells us the one that started his lifelong fascination:  Momo, the Missouri Monster, who is a Bigfoot like creature.

The United States of Cryptids: A Tour of American Myths and Monsters by J.W. Ocker is a sea to shining sea tour of creatures and beings.  Ocker begins in the Northeast and heads west, visiting not only the iconic creatures but the lesser known ones as well. This is a well-written, very entertaining guide with a sense of humor.  As Ocker explains, most of those who love crypids “love the idea of them; we love the stories.  And whatever you may think about cryptids, the stories are true.”  In other words, whether or not the creatures are real, the stories are—and that’s what attracts us. He goes on to say that believing in cryptids helps us to believe the world still holds mysteries and wonder. So he’s ready to show us the Lizard Man, the Tennessee Terror, the Batsquatch, the Jackalope, and, yes, the Woodbooger!

Bittersweet in the Hollow by Kate Pearsall

Reviewed by Jeanne

The first James woman walked alone out of the Forest in Cabal Hollow, West Virginia generations ago.  Since then, all the James women have had certain gifts. The current James family has them too.  They are somewhat small gifts as magic goes; for example Rowan James knows when someone is lying and Sorrel James can charm bees.  Linden James can taste emotions: she knows exactly what people are feeling, whether or not she wants to.

What Linden can’t do is remember what happened last summer when she went missing in the woods during the festival.  She was found with a head injury and no memory of what happened or how she ended up where she was.  Some people seem dubious about her claim of amnesia, but then the James women have always been the object of suspicion even as people come to them for tonics and creams.

Now the summer solstice is here which means festival time:  the Moth Festival, celebrating the legend of the Moth-Winged Man, a folkloric figure who may bring death or at least warn of death. Linden’s friend Dahlia Calhoun has come home from college for the festival.  Dahlia is the reigning Moth Queen, and it’s time for her to relinquish her crown.

But Dahlia goes missing the night of the festival, only to be found dead. Linden knows that she is going to have to discover what happened to her the year before if she is going to be able to solve Dahlia’s murder. She’s also going to have to uncover a lot of secrets—including some about her own family.

Sometimes a novel just has you by the opening paragraph.  That’s what Bittersweet in the Hollow did for me.  I liked the writing and the imagery from the start, and the story just drew me in. This is a beautifully written YA novel set in West Virginia. Appalachian traditions are represented without condescension or judgment.  The book is a wonderful blend of mystery with some supernatural elements, romance, coming of age, and family.  Characters were well developed, and the setting was very vivid.  I liked that Pearsall took the Point Pleasant’s Mothman legend and reshaped it into something else, drawing more on traditional lore. I was drawn to all the characters and the book left me wanting more.  I liked all the sensory descriptions Pearsall employed.  In some ways, the book reminded me of those written by one of my favorite authors, Sarah Addison Allen. 

I understand there is going to be another book in the series, and I’m already looking forward to it.

The Unquiet Grave by Sharyn McCrumb

Reviewed by Kristin

Young and headstrong, Zona Heaster lived in Greenbrier County, West Virginia, round about 1896.  West Virginia was still a young state, fresh from the Civil War, at least in the memories of its older population.  Zona may have been young as well, but she was past twenty and ready to get married when the first opportunity presented itself.  When charmer Edward Erasmus Shue, or “Trout,” came along, Zona jumped at the chance, no matter what reservations her mama may have had.

A few months later, Mrs. Zona Shue is dead from an apparent fall down the stairs.

Mary Jane Heaster, Zona’s mother, never did trust that Trout.  When Zona had found out that he had two previous wives, it didn’t bother her none, but Mary Jane was afraid for her girl.  When Zona is brought back to her hometown for burying, Trout acts the grieving husband and insists that no one look closely at the body.  Soon after the funeral, Mary Jane has an unexpected visitor: Zona, telling her mother that her death was not natural.

Decades later, James P.D. Gardner recounts to his doctor what it was like to be an African-American attorney assisting in the defense of Edward Shue accused of murdering his young bride Zona.  Mr. Gardner is going through a tough time himself, remanded to the segregated insane asylum after a suicide attempt, and his story is intertwined with that of the Heasters and the Shues.

Sharyn McCrumb paints a rich narrative in her usual way:  the characters are strong, the settings are vivid, and she draws this novel from historical facts.  Zona’s story is well known in the West Virginia hollows and ridges as the tale of “The Greenbrier Ghost.”  Although long believed to be folklore, McCrumb followed the documents back into time, finding census records, death certificates, court records, maps and more to prove that there was a real Zona who died under suspicious circumstances.  McCrumb can always be counted upon to portray her Appalachian characters realistically with authentic voices that may as well have come straight from 1896.

McCrumb may be best known for her Appalachian Ballad novels, but here she proves once again that she has an unerring sense for a good story, and the ability to tell it in a way that draws  readers in, and keeps them wishing for more.

Carrying Albert Home by Homer Hickam

Reviewed by Ambrea

In Carrying Albert Home, Elsie Lavender and Homer Hickam Sr.—the future parents of author Homer Hickam Jr.—were high school classmates in West Virginia, before Elsie traveled to Orlando whereupon she met Buddy Ebsen, a dancer and actor (and, most notably, fell madly in love) and Homer set to work creating a life for himself in his hometown.  But when Elsie’s relationship with Buddy falls apart, Elsie returns to West Virginia and, much to her surprise, finds herself married to Homer.

To remember her carefree days in Florida, Buddy sends Elsie a wedding gift:  an alligator named Albert who lives in their bathtub.  But when Homer experiences an embarrassing (and, he claims, near fatal) incident with Albert, he gives Elsie an ultimatum—either he goes, or the alligator does.  Given some time to consider her options, Elsie decides she will return Albert to the Florida Everglades.

Elsie and Homer’s trip to Florida quickly turns into an adventure they won’t soon forget.

I enjoyed Carrying Albert Home.  It’s a sweet, quirky story (as foretold by the subscript) about two people making an oddball journey through the south to return an incredibly expressive alligator to his natural habitat.  I mean, it can’t get any stranger than that.  Okay, well, it can—and, frequently, does—as Elsie and Homer Sr. stumble across bank robbers, bootleggers, rioters, smugglers, serial killers, and all manner of sundry creatures on their journey south.

I also should note that I loved Albert.  He is, I think, the best alligator I’ve ever encountered in literature—but, then again, he may be the only alligator I’ve encountered thus far in my reading.  Nevertheless, I liked him (and the rooster, whose purpose is never fully explained) and their wild journey from West Virginia to the Sunshine State.  Their story, while highly unusual, is simultaneously hilarious and fun; more importantly, it’s never boring.

Hickam has a storyteller’s prose, weaving a tangled story of suspense and adventure and, ultimately, love.  Moreover, he manages to create wonderful characters that are sure to entertain readers.  Such as the odd, comically villainous duo of robbers Homer first encounters, or the bootlegger with whom Elsie spars.  It’s a strange gathering of people and animals that left me laughing and shaking my head for the absurdity.

As I was reading, I learned to like Elsie.  Headstrong, defiant, inventive and, yes, courageous in her own way, Elsie was a fascinating female character; however, I have to say I adored Homer Sr.  Although Homer is a simple man—a coal miner by trade whose only aspirations are a steady job and a happy family—he is a smart man who is loyal to a fault and loves Elsie with all his heart, even if he can’t always express it.

A lesser man wouldn’t have bothered with a trip to Florida; a lesser man would never have faced bank robbers, rioters (with dynamite), bootleggers, poetry-writing serial killers, smugglers, or hurricanes; a lesser man wouldn't have fought so hard for a woman who wasn't sure of her feelings.  It’s a sweet, though admittedly weird, love story that made me wonder from chapter-to-chapter, but I enjoyed it overall.

Although I enjoyed Carrying Albert Home, it is a very unusual book.  I don’t know if the author intentionally made certain parts of his novel vague, or if he was attempting to give depth and symbolism to Albert’s journey (or if he was merely having a laugh at his own story, which I’m more inclined to believe), but, either way, I often found myself thinking Elsie and Homer’s journey to Florida was much bigger than I understood—which often left me thinking I’d missed something.

From Rocket Boys to October Sky by Homer Hickam, Jr.

Reviewed by Jeanne

It’s always a bit of a gamble when a book is turned into a movie.  Most of the time the movie loses many of the layers, the nuances, of the book, although there are rare exceptions (*cough* “Jaws” *cough*) Good or bad, I frequently wonder how the book author feels about seeing his or her creations brought to life.

That’s why I wanted to pick up a copy of From Rocket Boys to October Sky by Homer Hickam.  As the title indicates, the book is his take on the process of how his story was turned into the movie “October Sky.”  The first surprise was that technically, the film was not based on the published book; Homer was still writing it.

The process began when Hickam wrote an article for the magazine Smithsonian Air & Space. He’d written articles for the publication previously, but this time he decided to write about what it was like to have been a kid growing up in a West Virginia coal town in the 1950s and wanting to build rockets.  The article was a bit of a sensation, and requests for more stories about the “Rocket Boys” came in—including two inquiries from independent film companies.  He found an agent, wrote out a ten page synopsis, and the next thing he knew, his life story had been optioned by Universal Pictures.

The rest of the book explains both the process of movie making and Hickam’s struggles to put the youthful portion of his life on paper.  One of the things I appreciated about the story is that he tries to be fair to all concerned.  This isn’t a hatchet job on Hollywood.  There were changes made that seemed totally unnecessary—changing his father’s name from Homer to John, for example—while other changes sacrificed accuracy to either move the film along or to be more visually pleasing.  At dinner one night, Hickam tells the director that the chemicals the boys are using in a scene couldn’t ignite.  The director replied, “You do realize, Homer, that we’re only trying to sell popcorn here, don’t you?” 

This isn’t a gossipy book about backstabbing in Hollywood or demanding actors, though the actors are always on the lookout for that little something to give their performances more depth—or themselves more screen time.  There’s a very young Jake Gyllehaal in his first starring role, Chris Cooper as Homer Hickam, Sr.—er, I mean, John—and Laura Dern as Miss Riley.  The book is brief, but covers a lot of territory.  I enjoyed some of the behind the scenes tidbits (for example, noted train photographer O. Winston Linke had a cameo in the movie as an engineer.)   A few mysteries were cleared up along the way.  While Hickam titled his book Rocket Boys, the studio didn’t like that as the movie title.  Someone realized that “October Sky” was an anagram of Rocket Boys and reflected the Sputnik launch which helped inspire young Homer and his friends.

I enjoyed the book.  If I had any quibbles at all, it would be with some of the layout and typeface which I found a bit off-putting at first.  Linda, Homer’s wife, was allowed to take photos during some of the filming so there are some behind the scenes shots as well as some old photos of the real people involved in the story.

Now I want to watch the movie again!

Homer Hickam's website is www.homerhickam.com.  His latest book is the novel Carrying Albert Home:  The Somewhat True Story of a Man, His Wife, and Her Alligator.

The Midwife of Hope River by Patricia Harman

Reviewed by Kristin

Patience Murphy has a difficult but very important job in Depression era West Virginia:  delivering babies.  She often takes care of the deliveries that the doctor won’t bother with, and those that are least likely to pay.  The book opens with a crying woman that Patience has just had to tell that her baby is dead.  With limited instruments and limited training, Patience is often the only person these coal mining families can go to for help.  Being called out in the middle of the night is not uncommon, and sometimes the families simply have nothing to give her for payment.  (Happily accepted payments might be a ham, a side of bacon, or a promise of a cord of wood for the winter.)

Patience is soon persuaded to take on Bitsy, a young African American girl, as a helper.  With Bitsy, Patience’s practice expands as more of the African American community is willing to call the midwife for assistance.  Bitsy becomes a true companion to Patience, in a time when social mixing of the races was much less accepted.

As the book progresses, Patience’s past is revealed.  Growing up in an orphanage, a lost love, and great heartbreak have brought her to the gentle mountains where she helps women and their babies.  Of course a little touch of romance is thrown in, as she meets veterinarian Daniel Hester.

I was interested in the book as it was set in an Appalachian mining town in the 1930’s, and one branch of my family lived in a Kentucky coal mining town in that time period and beyond.  Whenever I read stories of the difficulty of life in that kind of community, I connect with them as I think that my great-grandparents must have been very familiar with those hardships.  Even though life was hard, my grandma told me this about the Depression in a coal mining town:  “We were poor, but we didn’t know we were poor--because everyone we knew lived the same way.”  Even so, knowing that my great-grandparents lost babies to malnutrition or a failure to thrive, reading this type of story gives me a fuller understanding of the life conditions people endured not so long ago.

I found this to be a hopeful book, with characters looking for the small joys of life in a time when life was not easy.  Patience is a unique character who is willing to go out of her way, even to put herself at risk, for others.