Far Appalachia: Following the New River North by Noah Adams

Far Appalachia: Following the New River North Reviews

• 
  Grady

  The linked chapters in this book add up to a gentle and beautiful but low key trip down the New River, from its headwaters in the mountains of North Carolina to its intersection with the Gauley in West Virginia, where the two rivers become the Kanawha. It's a short, fast read, with a close focus on the river and people who live or work by or on it - so it doesn't really provide a window into the broader economics or politics of the region.
  
  I've never lived in the watershed, but I've visited places in it a bunch. That's not usually the case for places I read about in travel books, and it made for an odd experience - the book felt very familiar (and accurate), not foreign or exotic. For readers who have lived in the urban areas of the midAtlantic but traveled to rural Virginia and West Virginia, this book is likely to serve as a lovely reminder of the watershed, and perhaps a spur to another long weekend visit. I'm really curious what it would signify to someone from much further away. As a side note, the title of the book - Far Appalachia - comes from a phrase used by Horace Kephart, who studies and wrote about families living in remote areas of the Great Smoky Mountains, well to the south and west of the New River. But, it works well enough for a title, and does convey the remoteness of the river once it gets deep into West Virginia.
  
• 
  Cattfrancisco

  This book made me want to visit some of the places along the New River that Noah Adams writes about. I've read that the New River Gorge is "the Grand Canyon of the East." That idea alone is one to make a person visit. On my way to cities in the Northeast, I've driven past the exit on I-64 that will take you to the Canyon Rim visitor center, frequently wishing I had allowed myself extra time to explore. Rich in history and culture - some say being settled by American Indians before 8000 B.C., then by Europeans in the late 16th century as a result of the de Soto and Juan Pardo expeditions.
  
  Before the railroads and highways, the New River was an important means of transportation into the mountains enabling hunters, farmers and entrepreneurs to settle towns and cities along its banks. Imagining Mary Draper Ingels trying to get back to her family, the once-bustling lead and coal mining towns, pioneers passing through on their way west and stories of famous floods and river freezings, Noah Adams winds his way down the New River, taking the reader along. I was sorry when the book ended, wanting to know more about the New.
  
  I'll keep Far Appalachia in my car as reference for the day that I get off the highway to see the New River for myself.
• 
  Jane

  Not a travelogue but reminiscences about canoeing/rafting/Jeeping along the New River, starting in North Carolina > Virginia > West Virginia. I keep forgetting how far west Virginia extends and how mountainous the west end of VA is beyond Asheville, despite having driven through twice. What surprised me is how far -east- the New River turns.
  
  Entertaining, but too choppy for 3 stars.
• 
  Charlene

  Book caught my eye at a used book sale . . . maybe because I've been reading a good bit about Appalachia for the past year and this was a term and river I had never heard of.
  
  It's a quick and easy read, perfect to pick up and put down during busy life times but still thoughtful and enjoyable. It had a map but I still got out my own big atlas to follow along. Author starts in North Carolina, at the headwaters of the river and winds up in spectacular scenery in West Virginia where the river joins another to soon reach the Ohio. It's an area I have not visited but I would like to.
  
  Chapters could easily stand on their own but altogether they form a travelogue, following author as he kayaks, whitewater rafts (with a guide), and sometimes just bikes or hikes along the river's edge. He interacts some with the people living along the river but we are spared deep analysis of region's problems and economics. He also has stories of the early settlers of the region and muses about what their lives must have been like.
  
  My favorite chapter was "Galax Town" where author encounters the local bluegrass music makers. Each chapter starts with the latitude and longitude but I would have liked some dates, too . . . I tried to guess the month from his description of temperature and blooms but was often left wondering. Book left me hoping I can see the New River Gorge one of these days.
• 
  Kevin

  Far Appalachia is a nicely written travelogue tracing the New River from its source in the mountains of Western NC to its destination in the Kanawha River in West Virginia. In the tradition of a great travelogue, the authors journey describes many interesting places along the way, talking to people, recounting history, giving context, and relating personal experiences. In reading, i found many connections that our family has to the New River that we didn't even know about. For one, a branch of the headwaters runs literally through the campus of the university where one of our children did their undergrad degree. Another connection is that we have driven along side it countless times going to our favorite camping location in SW Virginia. After reading, we want to make a point of exploring more of the New River, especially New River Gorge National Park and Preserve in WV. Far Appalachia is an enlightening and enjoyable tale, in the good company of books by William Least Heat-Moon (the Blue Highways trilogy), Bill Bryson (A Walk in the Woods and others) and of course Steinbeck's Travels with Charley.
• 
  Robin

  I always feel like I have to caveat my 2-star ratings with the note that I mean it in the goodreads sense of "it was ok". It wasn't terrible, I didn't dislike it, but it was only "ok."
  
  It took me almost a year to finish this ~200 page book because I was never that into it. This is a series of basically unconnected anecdotes ostensibly tied together by the fact that all the anecdotes are related to the New River. It kinda seemed like a stunt non-fiction book before stunt non-fiction was officially a thing. Some of the anecdotes were interesting or funny or sad, but probably because the author has a journalism background, there never felt like there was a deeper connection. It was just reported as "this happened" or "this person said this thing" or "a historical note about this site is..."
  
  So, it was fine, ok, but not great.
• 
  Susan

  Loved THIS Read. It’s easy to pick up & read a chapter, then put it down until another chance to read.
  Noah Adams, a familiar voice from years of listening to NPR radio programming, is the writer. I could hear his voice as I read his accounts of “Far Appalachia” from his Journey along the New River.
  This book contains glimpses into the History, Settlers, Immigrants, Corporations & Nature of the Appalachian Region. It’s a personal story with insight into life in Appalachia.
• 
  Allen Steele

  This was very interesting, when the author talked about the civil war & the coal miners. The history of the river was influenced by events like the depression & floods to be the unique heritage site that it is. While white water rafting, very good imagery. From North Carolina to West Virginia, the New River has something for everyone and I think the way this book was described details that perfectly. I've never been there, however now I feel like I have.
• 
  Brian Gumm

  I've been fortunate enough to see the New River Bridge, the Gorge, the abandoned Kaymoor coal camp, Fayetteville WV, and the Exhibition Coal Mine in Beckley. All these things are documented in Noah Adams' engaging travelogue and much, much more. It makes me want to dive back into the amazing wilderness of a state comprised entirely of mountains. A perfect vacation read.
• 
  Jen

  Vignettes capturing the oral history of the New River. Plus, sprinkle in some racism and homophobia like it’s 1997.
  
  I get it though. We gotta shatter stereotypes about Appalachia somehow. Right?? But Adams doesn’t offer up critical thinking and analysis. It’s just: “Today I took my canoe out on the river. Picked some flowers on someone’s farm. The end.”
• 
  Alicia

  One of the reviews on the back of the book captures the author’s style, “modesty, economy and grace”. I have spent some time in the places in the book and that helped with visualization. The author does well in describing the people and geography. His retelling of rafting the New was so excellent. I felt like I was there.
• 
  Vicki

  A good gift for someone connected to the region. Each entry stands alone. It can be read out of order, in parts, or in full. It’s the kind of book that you keep on the side table to thumb through when the mood is right. Buy it rather than borrow.
• 
  John

  This would be a very pleasant book to read when you are an old retired loafer living in a small Mexican fishing village with no problems in the world. So when I get old, I may read it again, it was a bit boring for me right now.
• 
  Danm

  Separate segments about his experiences. Not a story that flows. Writing is a little dry for me, but based on reviews I read, some people really love this book because it takes them to another place.
• 
  Casey Auch

  Hailing from the Appalachian Mountains, I appreciated the stories being close to home and it was a good cure for some summertime homesickness. I wouldn't recommend it to everyone though, and I was slow to make it through.
• 
  Jessi

  This book was entertaining and informative; the lower rating is for the fact that it just didn't keep me flipping pages. The people & individual stories make it good.
• 
  Ilona Isaacs

  An easy flowing book with depth and history, just like the river it is about.
• 
  Keena

  Mostly enjoyable, would have preferred skipping the chapter on Deliverance
• 
  Shannon Cline

  Not penetrating, but certainly enjoyable. Read while camping along a river in one of WV’s magnificent state parks.
• 
  Mary

  I enjoyed the first 100 pages or so because I used to live in the area. It kind of fell off after that.
  
• 
  Randy Harris

  The best chapters here are like a weak episode of the old TV show ‘on the road’ with Charles Kuralt. The rest are just like diary notes of a day visiting the river. This book has no thread, no real through-line or purpose that I can see.