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...
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...
Monroe "Roe" Farley has traveled to the Ozarks with his ediphone to record local folk songs that he believes originated in Scotland and England. He meets Jesse Best, a simpleminded man who claims Roe as his friend. He also meets Jesse's sister, Meggie, a woman who has always dreamed that her prince would come and sweet her away. When Meggie sees Roe, she believes her prince is finally here. But when she nearly poisons him with her cooking, Roe decides to keep his distance.
This is a thoroughly entertaining book with unique characters. Meggie and Jesse live with their father on his rundown farm. Onery Best is a simple farmer with very little education. When Roe offers to pay him for room and board, Onery makes a deal with him to help out on the farm. Roe may be Harvard educated, but he has a lot to learn about the people in Marrying Stone, Arkansas. My rating: 4 Stars.
This is a thoroughly entertaining book with unique characters. Meggie and Jesse live with their father on his rundown farm. Onery Best is a simple farmer with very little education. When Roe offers to pay him for room and board, Onery makes a deal with him to help out on the farm. Roe may be Harvard educated, but he has a lot to learn about the people in Marrying Stone, Arkansas. My rating: 4 Stars.
Pamela Morsi writes enchanting books, many about turn-of-the-century events. This one is about a musicologist from Harvard University, who wants to capture the songs, music, words of the isolated farmers of the Ozarks. Roe's belief is that these isolated people still use the music, songs and speech patterns that their forefathers brought from Celtic regions of Europe. To capture these old traditions, Roe has brought an Ediphone, to copy the offerings of the Ozark folks.
The Best family offers to help Roe convince the other members of the isolated mountains to share their traditions if Roe will help Mr. Best, Jesse and Meg around the farm.
This is another charmer from Pamela Morsi. Actually, the most engaging part of the story is the relationship between Roe and Simple Jess (a simple-minded young man of the Ozarks). The reason I didn't give the story 5 stars is because I just could not imagine Roe and Meggie together forever. Roe was simply too educated to be happy with living in the Ozarks long-term.
Marrying Stone, Arkansas
** 1. Marrying Stone (1994)
2. Simple Jess (1996)
3. The Lovesick Cure (2012)
The Best family offers to help Roe convince the other members of the isolated mountains to share their traditions if Roe will help Mr. Best, Jesse and Meg around the farm.
This is another charmer from Pamela Morsi. Actually, the most engaging part of the story is the relationship between Roe and Simple Jess (a simple-minded young man of the Ozarks). The reason I didn't give the story 5 stars is because I just could not imagine Roe and Meggie together forever. Roe was simply too educated to be happy with living in the Ozarks long-term.
Marrying Stone, Arkansas
** 1. Marrying Stone (1994)
2. Simple Jess (1996)
3. The Lovesick Cure (2012)
Harvard-educated J. Monroe Farley has come to the Ozark town of Marrying Stone to research traditional folk songs. But "Roe" is having a tough time keeping his mind on his studies, especially after he meets Meggie Best.
Maggie was a dreamer who'd spent her intire life in the tiny town ofMarrying Stone. But though her life was simpleshe was always sure that some day her prince would come...
