George Ivey. Up River: A Novel of Attempted Restoration. Indianapolis, IN: Dog Ear Publishing, 2009.

Moving to a new place, especially a small town, without knowing anyone is difficult. People look at you inquisitively, and most people know everything about you even before a formal introduction. In Walnut Falls, North Carolina, Peter Bailey finds this to be true. However, he has the additional complication of being an “outlander” with a mission – a mission to save the Akwanee River. This water source is home to endangered fish and mussels, and Peter has joined with the controversial organization Global Alliance for River Defense (GARD), to protect it. Because GARD is known for suing localities to enforce better practices, his affiliation with the group complicates his task. As Peter works to find common ground with his new community, which is not always friendly to the newcomer, he reestablishes his dedication to environmentalism. Part of this, he learns, is working not only with diehard conservation-minded folks like him but also with other players, such as farmers, ministers, and bureaucrats. As the end of his two years comes up, Peter secures additional funds without the association with GARD, commits to continuing his work saving the Akwanee River, and feels like he is finally part of the Walnut Falls community.

Check this title’s availability in the UNC-Chapel Hill Library catalog.

Robert Heffner. Alma’s Prayer. Indianapolis, IN: Dog Ear Publishing, 2012.

Now that we’re in the sesquicentennial of the Civil War, we’re being treated to movies, websites, and articles about the politics and battles of that sad war.  But all wars have a home front, and the Civil War home front is the setting for Alma’s Prayer.  Alma is Alma Hawkins, a widow living the the mountains of western North Carolina.  Despite Alma’s pleas, her oldest son, Virgil, left their mountain farm to join the Confederate army. Virgil volunteered for a six month enlistment, but as the novel opens CSA President Jefferson Davis has just signed a new conscription act which calls all men eighteen and over into service and cancels all discharges.

Virgil’s letter telling his family that he’s not coming home reaches them shortly after his wife Jenny announces her pregnancy and Virgil’s brother, Luke, discovers the violence inflicted on a neighboring family whose husband deserted the army.  Luke’s concern for his mother and sister-in-law compels him to visit Virgil’s camp to ask him to come home.  Soon both brothers are on the run from the very posse who so brutally dealt with their neighbors.  This crisply-written novel covers some of the same literal and figurative territory as Charles Frazier’s Cold Mountain.  It is a timely reminder that in wartime sacrifice, fear, cruelty, and bravery are not confined to the battlefield.

Check this title’s availability in the UNC-Chapel Hill Library catalog.