Mariner Media

Buena Vista VA—Lena Cantrell McNicholas loves Southwest Virginia. In her first book, Patchwork—Pieces of Appalachia, she recalls the small Appalachian town of her childhood and the eclectic characters within it.

She wrote about her memories in a series of poems, stories and vignettes. Lena McNicholas has received numerous awards for her original work and was Poet of the Month for A Magazine December. She is an active member of the Appalachian Poets and Writers, the Blue Ridge Chapter of the Virginia Writers Club, Inc., and the Poetry Society of Virginia.

Elizabeth Doyle Solomon, author of Seasons, has said “McNicholas has written a book from her heart, for the hearts of us all. … Patchwork is a book for today that carries those precious pieces of yesterdays, a book to pass down to the inheritors of tomorrows.”

Lee Smith, author of Oral History and Fair and Tender Ladies, said, “This fine collection…takes us through Lena’s exciting life of love, adventure, devastating loss, high principles and new beginnings, finally back to her beloved southwest Virginia and the complexities of life alone—all of this told with severe honesty and sweet lyrical grace. Lena knows who she is and where she comes from, and she knows how to tell a good story, too. All you have to do is sit back and listen.”

Virtually any hunter or fisherman will enjoy these true stories about the little known job these dedicated officers accomplish every day. In this, his third book, Jon Ober relates with warmth and engaging wit the rewards, humor and dangers for a Game Warden who is always on call. Jon has been with the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries since 1985. His work has taken him from Eastern Shore marshes to the Chesapeake Bay and the western mountains of the Commonwealth.

GW (Gerry) Lister said in the Spring 2011 issue of International Game Warden, “A book that I somehow overlooked in 2009 popped onto my radar so I contacted the author, Virginia Conservation Police Sergeant Jon Ober, and had him send me a copy of A Game Warden's Field Notes III (ISBN 978-0-9841128-2-1). I'm certainly glad that I made that contact, and that John sent me the book, because it turned out to be a nice little gem. As you can tell from the title, this is the third in his series. However a large portion of it is made up of re-written versions of stories from the first two books. John was kind enough to send em a copy of GWFN II as well, which I read first to try and get some background on the series. While II was a decent little book, Game Warden Field Notes III is a much better book. While I have no idea which stories first appeared in GWFN II I was able to compare the stories that appeared in both the second and third books. The stories in this latest book are more polished and the book itself just had a higher quality look and feel to it.

Books written by officers who are still on the job are not common; in fact this may be only the second or third one I've ever come accross. This is not a book entirely about the author however, as many of the stories are about his fellow wardens, some of whom have since retired. The stories are all top nothc and the chapters are interspersed with what the author refers to as "Reflections which are the author's observations about the role of the game warden and the work he does.

Ober writes with a great deal of humor and is a terrific story teller and writer. He provides us with highly entertaining stories that cover almost every facet of the job from chasing drones and toads, to boating safely, and problem wildlife. I had no problem breezing through this 219 page volume, as the tales were of such great quality and variety that I never got bored. Ober has hit the mark with this one and I highly recommend you add it to your library.

A Game Warden's Field Notes III is published by Mariner Publishing and is availabel from their website at www.marinermedia.com/bookstore.html or most major online discount book retailers. The list price is $16.95.”

The Chessie Trail overlies the railbed of the old C&O Railroad line between Lexington and Buena Vista, VA. Its level path and many interesting features make it a favorite of hikers, runners, and nature lovers in all seasons. Canoeists and kayakers use the Trail to access the river and enjoy the scenic Maury River valley from a different perspective. The Field Guide, covering topics from geology to wildflowers to the Trail's historic structures, is a great companion for a day trip along the Trail.

In Voices from the Hollow Philip Hirsh captures the heart of America's two world system - the privileged and the working class. With the eyes of a child and the wisdom of a grown man, Hirsh explores the prejudices, universal racism of the time, elitist attitudes, and the true wealth and richness of rural American life that captivated his senses and forever shaped his belief system.

Hirsh's writing style makes you feel as if he's in your living room telling the hilariously funny, sometime poignant, and often revealing stories. The cultural divide that defined his early life as a young boy, following his family from suburban New York City to the family horse farm in the heart of Appalachia, is the soul of the book. With a family like his, how could Hirsh escape becoming a psychiatrist? You will develop a new and greater appreciation for your own family reading this entertaining book.

Over in the Country is a memoir about Paul and Eula Simms, remarkable people who never considered themselves remarkable, a rich collection of stories from their life on a farm in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia during the first half of the twentieth century. In 1904 Paul bought a hundred acres of raw land, mostly rolling hills, but with enough level ground for a house and a garden. To make their farm prosper, he and his bride Eula Rakes brought their experiences growing up in the country, their eagerness to try new ideas and inventions, their willingness to work hard, and their determination to succeed. Almost as essential was the pleasure they took in good fun, good food, and a healthy sense of humor. The memoir tells stories about Paul and Eula before they married, their efforts to make the farm pay, their four children, kinfolk and neighbors, church and school in an isolated mountain community. The small self-sufficient farms of earlier America are gone. Stories such as these help us remember our grandparents and connect us to our past.