The Mountain, the Miner, and the Lord and Other Tales from a Country Law Office

Regardless of whether these stories are biographies or bio-fictions, Mr.Caudill shows excellent writting skills in his story telling. Sitting at the knees of story-tellers in the south there was always some fiction thrown in with the truth. Each story was as enthralling and detailed of the lives of hard working mountain people as the next. With Mr.Caudill being an attorney, some stories told the legal hardships people endured. I found it to be a quite exceptional book and I have dozens and dozens of "Mountain People" books to compare it to. I did feel like I was sitting on the porch, after dinner clean-up, with a story teller. Yes, I enjoyed this book very much and I would recommend it to anyone who likes to hear stories of the Appalachian people. He zeroes in on particular counties around the southeastern part of Kentucky and he mentions places that some of us know all too well. My absolute favorite short story in this book was the title "The Mountain, The Miner and The Lord" which showed me great strength, determination and grande love that we each should practice. There are times when I feel weak, I think about that particular story and it truly strengthens me with the "I can do this" driven attitude.

I think this book is an excellent and accurate account of the stories and traditions of this area. Having been associated with south-eastern Kentucky all my life,I can attest to many of the characters and nearly all the places he mentions. Who of us with close ties to Appalachia hasn't heard of the wild politics of Kentucky mountain people, not just 150 years ago, but in recent years as well? His account of why life is as hard as it is for these people (and was for their ancestors) is right on target!