Running on Red Dog Road

And Other Perils of an Appalachian Childhood

De: Drema Hall Berkheimer

Narrado por: Bailey Carr

Gypsies, faith-healers, moonshiners, and snake handlers weave through Drema's childhood in 1940s Appalachia after her father is killed in the coal mines, her mother goes off to work as a Rosie the Riveter, and she is left in the care of devout Pentecostal grandparents. What follows is a spitfire of a memoir that feels like a novel with intrigue, sweeping emotion, and indisputable charm. Drema's coming of age is colored by tent revivals with Grandpa, poetry-writing hobos, and traveling carnivals, and through it all, she serves witness to a multi-generational family of saints and sinners whose lives defy the stereotypes. Just as she defies her own.

Running on Red Dog Road is proof that truth is stranger than fiction, especially when it comes to life and faith in an Appalachian childhood.

©2016 Drema Hall Berkheimer (P)2017 Tantor

Awesome!

They picked the Perfect narrator for this sweet memoir! Absolutely loved every bit of it.

Loved it!

So enjoyable without anything dark or depressing. its hard to find just a good happy story these days. So loved the humor. Great narration for audiobook.

Appalachian story at its finest!!

Love, love, LOVE this book. We Appalachians can tell our stories the best!! Give it a try.

Innocents

This book takes you back to a childhood when all was right with the world.

A sweet and beautiful story!!

I liked ALL of this book and I especially enjoyed the narrator’s voice. I related to the religious background and memories that this family shared. It was just a truly enjoyable book. I would recommend it to anyone.
Bc

Charming look back in time

I enjoyed this book. The details put you right there in the moment. I can practically smell the breakfast biscuits. Enjoyable to see that world through a child’s interpretation.

I wish it never had to end!

I absolutely loved this book. The narrator was one of the best I’ve ever heard. I happened upon this book and was thrilled that the little girl lived in Beckley, WV. And it mentioned where I grew up in Daniels and where I went to church in Crab Orchard. So much was familiar to me including a pop being called a pop, lunch was dinner and supper was supper. In the end I cried listening to the beautiful ending and I cried that it was the end. I can’t tell you enough how much I recommend this book! I just ordered the paperback.

Entertaining

I enjoyed the story but found the timelines a little choppy. It didn't seem as if the chapters were chronologically written. Maybe they were, but more frequent age references would have made the flow a little easier to follow. I also thought it ended fairly abruptly, without segwaying into the move away from West Virginia.

Good story with the wrong narrator

This is a well-written tale of growing up in Appalachia, full of vivid characters and insight into living in this rural West Virginia area. As a Southerner myself, I was able to relate to much of the atmosphere, the strict religious confines, and the sense of family that ties it all together. However, the choice of narrator missed the mark for me. Her voice was pleasant, although a bit on the breathy side at times, but held no hint of a Southern accent when reading the main character's point of view. Even while reading in the voices of the grandparents, for whom she did insert bits of an accent, it sounded stilted and still didn't ring true. Her pronunciation was frequently off, sounding more finishing school than someone who lived on a red dog road. Using this narrator was a missed chance at having a great audio book rather than a mediocre one.

Nostalgia.....

Loved this entire story with its old-school mannerisms. Familyisms, local lore.... the description of every occasion was so spot on that I could imagine I was right there. Pretty amazing.
I loved comparing, in my mind, the way life was back then, to the time I grew up, and now.
I'm not a re-listener however, I look forward to hearing this story again.