Review by Red Wing Educator -- From Hill Town to Strieby
-
Red Wing Educator
- Posts: 6
- Joined: 24 Apr 2020, 10:28
- Currently Reading:
- Bookshelf Size: 4
- Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-red-wing-educator.html
- Latest Review: The McCoys Before The Feud by Thomas McCoy
Review by Red Wing Educator -- From Hill Town to Strieby
[Following is a volunteer review of "From Hill Town to Strieby" by Margo Lee Williams.]
This book was the stories of the people who lived in the Unharrie mountains and forests in Randolph County in North Carolina for over two hundred years. The story started before the Civil War and took us to September 23, 2014. It showed how education, the Christian religion, and the personal history of the characters was valued. Pictures of the places, things, and the characters support my preceding sentence. A second story was how the American Missionary Association helped these people get literate. The most interesting part was about Rev. Islay Walden's life journey. His life linked the two parts of the written work together. There also was stories of Lassiter and Hill families. The two main towns in the beginning were Lassiter's Mill and Hill Town. As the story proceeded, descendants left and went to other states and cities.
From Hill Town to Strieby was a documented written work about Margo Lee Williams's ancestors. I liked most was the pictures so I could picture the places, things, and the characters accurately. I disliked most was the repeating of many facts over and over throughout the written selection. An example of the last sentence, was the listing of those who were buried at Strieby Church Cemetery in the genealogy and then later in a list of characters buried at Strieby Church Cemetery. I would have preferred a note before the genealogy saying no burial site would mean buried at Strieby Church Cemetery. Other notes could have abbreviations for the others cemeteries or no burial site.
The preceding paragraph helped me to rate this book three out of four. I did not give a two because I enjoyed reading and comparing this book to my own life. The pictures included also help the rating of three because the movie in my head was accurate. Rating four was not chosen as I would have graphic organizers included to help see the family line. The numbers included help to know the ancestors, but family tree graphic organizers would have helped the reader to see the line more clearly. Also graphic organizers also would helped to see errors and repeating facts easier. An example, on page 172 of the genealogy, John Hill, Jesse Hill, and Alexander Hill were listed but I could not find their parents. I inferred they were Julius Hill's brothers. I looked back to Steven Marmaduke Hill's entry which was viii. The next entry was b. Julius Hill followed by i., ii., iii., and the three Hills mentioned above. Pictures of the characters could be placed at the top or bottom of the page. I also found two numbers that needed commas and two typo errors in the list of the graves. Footnote 194 was not clear to me when it said from an interview with the author 6 July 2014 as I wondered who was the author. Footnote 724 said groom's birth date was 1857 and then married in 1863 when he would have been six years old. On page 238 the words were: "had the following child", but nine children were listed. When the words "not the picture nationwide", I would have preferred numbers to compare.
My hope is that many people will read this book. This book will appeal to those interested in history and Anthropology. As a former educator, I would like to see this book as additional reading in history classes. Also I would like elementary teachers read the stories of Rev. Islay Walden and Novell Anna Lassiter. I would read their stories to help motivate my students. Ms. Lassiter's story would also show students how life was not right before they lived and that were persons that stood for right then. I wished Christians from areas of the U.S. to read this work. I learned how Jesus was depicted. My Christian church had a picture of Jesus with black hair and brown skin, not as he was pictured in the story. The most appeal would be to the descendants of the people in this book, as I am sure they would enjoy the journey of their ancestors.
In conclusion, this was a wonderful read for me. As I read, I made comparisons to two towns where I grew up as Armada became Miller. Comparisons were made with my ancestors who settled the prairies of Nebraska. I also made comparisons with my schooling and the schools that I have taught. How awesome that one teacher had students in four rooms that she taught. Those students must have been very well behaved. Margo Lee Williams has motivated me to visit this part of North Carolina and to read the poetry listed in her book.
******
From Hill Town to Strieby
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
This book was the stories of the people who lived in the Unharrie mountains and forests in Randolph County in North Carolina for over two hundred years. The story started before the Civil War and took us to September 23, 2014. It showed how education, the Christian religion, and the personal history of the characters was valued. Pictures of the places, things, and the characters support my preceding sentence. A second story was how the American Missionary Association helped these people get literate. The most interesting part was about Rev. Islay Walden's life journey. His life linked the two parts of the written work together. There also was stories of Lassiter and Hill families. The two main towns in the beginning were Lassiter's Mill and Hill Town. As the story proceeded, descendants left and went to other states and cities.
From Hill Town to Strieby was a documented written work about Margo Lee Williams's ancestors. I liked most was the pictures so I could picture the places, things, and the characters accurately. I disliked most was the repeating of many facts over and over throughout the written selection. An example of the last sentence, was the listing of those who were buried at Strieby Church Cemetery in the genealogy and then later in a list of characters buried at Strieby Church Cemetery. I would have preferred a note before the genealogy saying no burial site would mean buried at Strieby Church Cemetery. Other notes could have abbreviations for the others cemeteries or no burial site.
The preceding paragraph helped me to rate this book three out of four. I did not give a two because I enjoyed reading and comparing this book to my own life. The pictures included also help the rating of three because the movie in my head was accurate. Rating four was not chosen as I would have graphic organizers included to help see the family line. The numbers included help to know the ancestors, but family tree graphic organizers would have helped the reader to see the line more clearly. Also graphic organizers also would helped to see errors and repeating facts easier. An example, on page 172 of the genealogy, John Hill, Jesse Hill, and Alexander Hill were listed but I could not find their parents. I inferred they were Julius Hill's brothers. I looked back to Steven Marmaduke Hill's entry which was viii. The next entry was b. Julius Hill followed by i., ii., iii., and the three Hills mentioned above. Pictures of the characters could be placed at the top or bottom of the page. I also found two numbers that needed commas and two typo errors in the list of the graves. Footnote 194 was not clear to me when it said from an interview with the author 6 July 2014 as I wondered who was the author. Footnote 724 said groom's birth date was 1857 and then married in 1863 when he would have been six years old. On page 238 the words were: "had the following child", but nine children were listed. When the words "not the picture nationwide", I would have preferred numbers to compare.
My hope is that many people will read this book. This book will appeal to those interested in history and Anthropology. As a former educator, I would like to see this book as additional reading in history classes. Also I would like elementary teachers read the stories of Rev. Islay Walden and Novell Anna Lassiter. I would read their stories to help motivate my students. Ms. Lassiter's story would also show students how life was not right before they lived and that were persons that stood for right then. I wished Christians from areas of the U.S. to read this work. I learned how Jesus was depicted. My Christian church had a picture of Jesus with black hair and brown skin, not as he was pictured in the story. The most appeal would be to the descendants of the people in this book, as I am sure they would enjoy the journey of their ancestors.
In conclusion, this was a wonderful read for me. As I read, I made comparisons to two towns where I grew up as Armada became Miller. Comparisons were made with my ancestors who settled the prairies of Nebraska. I also made comparisons with my schooling and the schools that I have taught. How awesome that one teacher had students in four rooms that she taught. Those students must have been very well behaved. Margo Lee Williams has motivated me to visit this part of North Carolina and to read the poetry listed in her book.
******
From Hill Town to Strieby
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: The McCoys Before The Feud by Thomas McCoy
