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Far Appalachia: Following the New River North by Noah Adams Recommendation: •••
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Virtual Vacation While it took NPR’s All Things Considered host Noah Adams a year to travel the New River, you can take the trip with him in a few hours by reading his new book, Far Appalachia: Following the New River North. The book is lush with images and characters, and Adams interjects snippets of his own family history and story throughout the book. This book has what you’d expect: rapids, people, stories. One of my favorite characters is Five Dollar Frank who gives airplane rides of the river for that price. Here’s Adams’ description of the beginning of his own ride: “Frank shows me where to step on the wheel strut, and how to buckle the shoulder harness and pull the seat forward some. He turns some switches and the engine catches, the propeller flutters to a full spin. I talk louder. ‘How many people today?’ ’I’ve been up maybe six times. But it gets busier in the evening. A buss could roll in here with maybe thirty people on it.’ We taxi slowly along the runway, heading for the top of the strip, slightly uphill. A turn to kick the tail around. A pause while Frank powers up the engine against the hold of brakes, then a roaring takeoff roll, using all the runway that Frank’s paved. And because the strip is on a ridge it seems like the land falls away more than the plane leaves it.” You can expect short sentences like these, and full descriptions, just like the radio voice and style you’ve heard Adams use on All Things Considered that can make you feel you can see and feel what he does. This book captures a place and time with love and care, and it’s a great introduction to a wonderful part of the world. Steve Hopkins, May 14, 2001
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