Rash's latest is a near miss, one of those novels that has many strengths but can't quite support them all. Logging baron George Pemberton returns to his logging camp in western Norrth Carolina with a new bride, Serena. She is not what everyone expects of a woman in the 1930s. She rides a horse like a man, trains a pet eagle, and supervises teams of loggers in their work. Rash does a wonderful job with imagery: Serena with her eagle, loggers being killed by falling branches, the poverty of Rachel, the girl whom George had impregnated before his trip, and their son, whom Serena will not let him acknowledge. Many scenes are vivdly described.

Except for Pemberton's shooting of a weak partner during a hunt, we don't see the first few evil acts that Serena directs; we hear of them afterwards, mentioned or described by a group of loggers, who function as a Greek chorus, commenting on the actions of the Pembertons. Things progress and escalate, as the Pembertons seem to have all the local politicians on their payroll and feel free to knock off anyone who opposes them. One of their main concerns is the impending creation of Smoky Mountain State Park (also an issue in Cataloochee, which I read this year), and they hurry to log and despoil the area before the land can be seized by the state.

Serena is a wonderfully detailed portrait of an avaricious woman who will stop at nothing to get what she wants, and essentially controls her husband. The problem is that we get no idea of how she became that way. We know that her family was killed by a common illness, and that she had their home burned to the ground, but this isn't enough to show us how a bright, assertive, capable woman became so conscienceless and evil. Since her mantra is to forget the past, we are naturally interested in what has happened in her past to make her the person she is. Giving us more of her development would have made this a truly wonderful book. What we get is more a snapshot than a well developed character.

The style is for the most part descriptive and a pleasure to read. The story moves along quickly. Rash does a nice job with the dialog of the loggers and the locals, and he paints a detailed picture of the locale. ( )

I had never heard of Rash, when I found this book at Border's, just perusing for something new to read. I read the first paragraph at the store and was hooked, went home with "Serena." I love Rash's writing, the folklore of Depression-era 1930's "highlander" North Carolina/Appalachia and the burgeoning environmental movement juxtaposed to the brutal logging/timber industry. The plot was pretty good, but it got SO far-fetched as it went along, it became of farce really. I also agree with some other reviewers in that the main character, Serena, is just "too evil" and bizarre to be believable or even that interesting. All of the murders too, and the one-handed henchman, Galloway, just got so out of control and ridiculous. The ending was a bit too Hollywood and goofy as well. Despite those complaints though, it's a quick read and there are some very, very funny observations among the highlanders as they discuss Serena and the other protagonist, Pemberton (and their cronies). Rash is actually a wonderful comic writer too. I will look for other things he's written, but this one is just "okay" overall. I think you just have to not take it too seriously, which is too bad, because it had the underpinnings of a very spooky book, had it just remained on this side of believable. ( )

Set in 1920's North Carolina, the book starts with the wealthy timber baron Pemberton arriving back at the lumber camp with his new wife, Serena. Serena is very different from what the locals (poor but resilient mountain folk) are used to: she hunts and rides horse just like a man, knows as much about felling trees as the lumberjacks, and is a very savvy businesswoman. It soon becomes clear that Serena is running the show, with Pemberton taking the back seat.

Rachel Harmon is one of the mountain folk caught in Pemberton and Serena's web. The teenage Rachel was seduced--and then abandoned--by Pemberton, and has given birth to his illegitimate son. Now she has to try and care for the boy with no help from Pemberton, since Serena forbids it. More and more people begin to feel Serena's wrath: from the business partner who is perceived as weak to the Sherriff who dares to interfere when things start to get bloody. It very quickly becomes obvious that Serena is not a woman you want to cross.

This book is hard to peg in just one genre. It's historical fiction, but it could also be classified as horror. It's a psycological drama, but with an environmental bent. The blending of the different genres makes this an interesting and unique book. I especially liked the descriptions of the woods and mountains, and the struggle to make the Smokies into a National Park. It was a fun little surprise to see Kephart and Albright make small appearances, especially after recently watching Ken Burn's National Park series. Serena herself is not a character you want to tangle with. She's very chilling and reminded me of what Rhoda from The Bad Seed would've been like all grown up. Not a comforting thought! ( )

"Serena" is set in the western mountains of North Carolina during the Depression. George and Serena Pemberton are newlyweds who are obsessed with each other and with the power and money that comes with building their lumber dynasty. Rachel is a poor, motherless, country girl who lives in the mountains and who fell under George's spell and into his bed, before he met and married Serena, and is now pregnant with his child. What follows is a story of greed, destruction, and murder. Excellent writing with lots of interesting facts about the lumber industry. Unfortunately, the book just does not do justice to the huge story and the many colorful characters. I was left wanting more. ( )

I read this book in 1 day. It was amazing how in the beginning of the book there's an almost admiration of Serena and her life in a man-orientated profession and world. But in the end. Complete psycho. I also loved the bits of dialogue with the loggers themselves. Showing the readers that they, too, had a story and were not oblivious as the Pembertons might have thought they were. To them, they were almost indespensible animals. I recommend this read. Very complex. ( )