Kentucky Straight: Stories

Authentic voice from the hills and hollers of Kentucky. Some of the stories have a folkloric quality. I loved the regional dialect, laconic and often grammatically incorrect, but direct, powerful, and honest. I respect the the people depicted, poor and uneducated in the traditional sense, but they seem to have an integrity and knowledge of the land that is enviable.

This collection is filled with tales from a fictional Kentucky hill country location. The characters are mostly uneducated though straightforward and some show an ability to progress emotionally or morally if not intellectually.
'Horseweed' was very good in this regard and I also enjoyed 'Nine-ball'.
Offutt's writing is clear and spare and the dialogue and dialect ring true.
Recommended