Anny P. (wolfnme) reviewed on 5/20/2006 + 3389 more book reviews

Helpful Score: 2

Set in the Ozarks, at the turn of the century, Mr. J. Monroe Farley is on a fact-finding mission - he has come to this backwards country to find old European ballads - hopefully, because of the isolated nature of this community, transmitted intact over the years. Although he does find what he is looking for, he also learns a lot more than he ever bargained for. Learning that can never be taught in universities - how to farm the simple way, for instance, or how to live on this simple, substinance level adequately, but especially, Roe learns something unexpected - this university educated, yet love starved boy finally learns about himself.... And something about love.

Meggie is a backwards country girl, but she is the *smartest* backwoods country girl for miles around. Book learning is something she is good at, but if they had to live on her cooking everyone would starve - so it's no wonder she dreams about a magic prince - and leaving for a place where she would be better suited....

Both Monroe and Meggie have a lot to learn, and learn it they do, through 300 + pages of bittersweet story. Meggie and her father and her brother (Simple Jess) agree to help Monroe find his ballads through the countryside, but in return, Monroe has to earn his keep - and Monroe learns about farming, but mostly, he learns about the simple community - in a pocket of the mountains where time stood still...

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