Gap Creek

The title is Gap Creek: The Story Of A Marriage. I had to keep reminding myself that this was a book about perspective. I think. I hope.

All books are, but I was so annoyed at the hard, bleek perspective the author chose to give us, that I wanted to shout out loud at the characters. Be nice! Say Thank You! Find a job!

Of course, their life WAS hard...which made their marriage hard. But, mostly, it was their lack of opportunity that made it so unbelievably difficult. Their lack of education and vision and plans for the future gave them no future. They just lived their hard life day after day.

I suppose there are lessons to learn and examples to follow. I always wonder, "What is this book's point?" Is it, that marriage is hard? That life in the South Appalachians at the turn of the century was hard? That you had to work hard and then you died? Well...that is a point. But not a very enjoyable one.

I would classify this as women's literature, because I cannot fathom a man enjoying this book, but it was written by a man. He says he wanted to tell the story of his grandparent's first year of marriage. I thought it interesting that he gave the voice to the young teenage bride. Her husband invokes little sympathy from me, but, again, I reminded myself...perspective. It's hers.

If this was the story of a marriage, it sure made me glad for my own.