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Rating: 
Summary: Mountain Hands
Review: Sam Venable may not be a familliar name to some readers. To those of us who own and treasure his books, he is a trusted guide into the backwoods and hollers of Southern Appalachia. Most of his literature concentrates on his ability to tell a tale, and in this medium he is a modern master in a league with Patrick McMannus or Garison Keelor. However, this book is a departure from some of his other books. In "Mountain Hands", Sam Venable and Paul Efird have produced a labor of love that depicts the hard life, and gentle times of the craftsmen of southern Appalachia. It is an unvarnished and genuine glimpse into the homes and hearts of forty people who keep the embers of mountain craftsmanship glowing. The photographs (Ultra High Quality Black and White), enrich the text with a warmth and charm born of a love of the craft. The subjects are as varied as Doll making, Fly Tying, Grave Digging and Fiddle and Mandolin making. One theme runs true in each and every story, a respectfull and honest glimpse into the craftsman as well as the craft. This is an excellent that can be read chapter by chapter over a period of weeks, or devoured in one sitting as I did. I cannot recommend this book highly enough, this is one book worth purchasing in hard cover so your children and grandchildren can treasure it as much as I am sure you will.
Rating: 
Summary: Serious history?
Review: While this book is uplifting, it tends to glorify and whitewash history. I certainly wish life were so gentle and beautiful, like carefully-chosen memories. But life is not. I wish Mr. Venable would have been more realistic, is what I am trying to say. Life WAS hard back then, and backbreaking, and depressing at times, just like life is now. Not everyone dealt with the stressors as well as others. Good times and bad times blended and merged. I enjoyed the read, don't get me wrong. I just prefer more realism and grit, to the misty fogs and dreamy landscapes he projects.
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