Ray Hicks - by Robert Isbell (Paperback)

About the Book

Ray Hicks: Master Storyteller of the Blue Ridge

Book Synopsis

Ray Hicks, 78, the famous teller of Appalachian Jack Tales, is one of America's best-loved storytellers. In this book he shares a different kind of story, a chronicle of his family's experiences in the remote section of the North Carolina mountains where they have lived for more than 200 years.

The pioneers who settled Beech Mountain were a God-fearing people who cherished the stories, the songs, and the ways of their ancestors. For generations, the Hickses have preserved tales of family history--the struggles and the celebrations--right alongside tales of giants and magic hens. Now readers will come to know the wisdom, humor, hardships, and dignity of this remarkable clan. Robert Isbell's profile of Ray Hicks and his family also pays tribute to the longstanding Appalachian traditions of music-making and storytelling. First published in 1996 as The Last Chivaree, the book is based on hundreds of hours of conversations and many years of friendship.

Review Quotes

[This book] captures the essence of Ray Hicks's stories and the sound of Stanley Hicks's dulcimer. ("Asheville Citizen-Times")

ÝThis book¨ captures the essence of Ray Hicks's stories and the sound of Stanley Hicks's dulcimer. ("Asheville Citizen-Times")

A book to be savored and to remind us of a quieter and simpler way of life. ("North Carolina Libraries")

A tender, loving, magical book. (Guy Munger, ""Literary Lantern"")

In this intriguing study of the Hicks family of Beech Mountain, journalist Isbell provides excellent insight into the lives of the people who live in the Appalachian mountains. ("Library Journal")

It is through a Homeric sensibility, in fact, that Hicks and Isbell work together to convey these stories and sentiments without the least bit of nostalgia. ("Blue Ridge Country")