Hope Valley edition by John Manuel Literature Fiction eBooks
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Hope Valley tells the story of Hurley Cates, a retired factory worker who lives with his wife, Opal, on a hilltop farm at the edge of Durham, NC. Hurley is a man who needs to control his world, including his pristine five-acre lawn and his inept son, Buddy, who lives in the house next door. When Buddy sells his house to a young, lesbian couple, Hurley's conservative values and domain of the hill are threatened. In alternately humorous and heart-rending scenes, the two couples struggle to find common ground on sexual politics, religion, and the way to grow tomatoes in a shared garden. When a storm strikes the hill, a loved one is killed and blame rules the day. Marriages are threatened and hard-won relationships put at risk. Some characters bend, some break. Only by drawing on their deepest shared values will any survive.
Hope Valley serves as a metaphor for the urban/rural, straight/unconventional sex, white/multi-racial divide that is threatening this nation. Through the struggles of the characters, it serves as a parable for a way through this divide.
Hope Valley edition by John Manuel Literature Fiction eBooks
For the past 30 years I have read books aloud to my wife while she falls asleep at night. She always falls asleep within 30 seconds so the choice of book, and most of the enjoyment, is mine. I have read all sorts of books over the years but generally incline toward the classics because dialogue is most important when reading aloud (even if no one else is listening). Classics (Dickens, Tolstoy, Twain, Melville, etc etc) seem to hold the most verisimilitude, be the best at bringing characters alive through their talk.But Manuel's book surpasses any classic I have read. This very special dialogue. I am not from the South and have only travelled there a half dozen times in my life, but Opal and Hurley's relationship to each other and the dilemmas they face (guilt, blame, age, suffering, death, loss -- the same things we all face) come alive through their low key dialogue which implies more than it says. I knew these people. I've never felt I could capture a character's character as I could Hurley and Opal, simply by reading them aloud.
Fine work, Mr. Manuel.
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Hope Valley edition by John Manuel Literature Fiction eBooks Reviews
A wonderful, thought-provoking read, very evocative of changing times in the South. In a time of turmoil and fear of the "other" in America, this novel speaks to love, acceptance and respect. The characters are wonderfully drawn and I really hated to see the story end. Highly recommend this work by this talented writer!
This was a great read! John Manuel has done an excellent job of using 1980's Durham, NC as a microcosm for a changing world. He does a wonderful job of showing how preconceived notions can be changed just with a little one on one contact. The characters in this book come to life in a way that has you forming an emotional attachment to them. I highly recommend it.
I really enjoyed the pace and character development in this lovely story of unlikely human friendship. Just imagine a gruff old Southern senior citizen (with a soft heart) walking down some tough life paths with his new neighbors, the educated lesbian couple that are living the 21st Century dream. In just two generations, you can feel the passage of times gone by. I'll be watching for Mr. Manuel's next book !
Hope Valley is an endearing story of transformation from bigotry to grudging respect and finally love; from rural landscapes with their cornfields and open spaces to side by side houses and apartments; from blue collar, hourly, punch the clock labor to white collar, professional work. Manuel captures a place and time and its essences in such a way that one is transported there with ease. All is real here, fully lived in, fully realized. Amazing authenticity. One will not soon forget Hurley. He represents both our human ability to transcend a circumscribed life and the hope for true fellow feeling that is experienced in the kind of community which Hope Valley becomes.
Hope Valley is a beautifully constructed novel, set in late 20th century NC. The main characters, Hurley and Opal are retired from a tobacco factory that has now become apartments. They are like people most Southerners have known all their lives. Fundamentalist and conservative in their beliefs, they are shocked when a lesbian couple buys the house next door. The novel has much to say about how the South has changed and about basic human decency and kindness and relationships. The central tragedy of the story and its repercussions on all the characters is handled masterfully. I loved the novel!
John Manuel composed a compelling story about two generations in Durham, NC, starting in 1985, confronted by changes in the deep south. The younger generation comes of age, while the older keeps aging, trying to understand constant challenges to what they've always believed. The story has love, loss, and lesbians. It's full of insights, intrigue, and intensity. Manuel transports you to a bygone era so vividly that you can smell and feel it. He treats all his characters with respect, whether they've joined the counter-culture, or been bred with god-fearing bigotry. HOPE VALLEY is a five star ride.
Recognizing our shared humanity can overcome even the most striking differences. John Manuel has written a thoughtful tale of two couples bridging vast gulfs in age, upbringing, and sexual orientation to discover a shared love of their shared land. But that's just one of the lovingly crafted threads that weave through this impressive debut novel. Manuel leads the reader through the difficulties of an aging marriage, the challenges of a threatened North Carolina landscape, and the tensions between father and son.
"Hope Valley" offers a portrait of the rapidly changing culture of the South, and a snapshot of the diverse landscape of modern America. It's a tale of love, loss, and transformation. Well worth the read, and a great choice for book clubs!
For the past 30 years I have read books aloud to my wife while she falls asleep at night. She always falls asleep within 30 seconds so the choice of book, and most of the enjoyment, is mine. I have read all sorts of books over the years but generally incline toward the classics because dialogue is most important when reading aloud (even if no one else is listening). Classics (Dickens, Tolstoy, Twain, Melville, etc etc) seem to hold the most verisimilitude, be the best at bringing characters alive through their talk.
But Manuel's book surpasses any classic I have read. This very special dialogue. I am not from the South and have only travelled there a half dozen times in my life, but Opal and Hurley's relationship to each other and the dilemmas they face (guilt, blame, age, suffering, death, loss -- the same things we all face) come alive through their low key dialogue which implies more than it says. I knew these people. I've never felt I could capture a character's character as I could Hurley and Opal, simply by reading them aloud.
Fine work, Mr. Manuel.
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