Burning Bright is a collection of short stories by Ron Rash. The stories range from Civil War-era, to Great Depression-era, to the present day, but all are set in the deep coves and hollows of the Western Carolina mountains. By grounding the stories this way, Rash creates an unmistakable sense of place, and of the hardscrabble existence scratched out by so many in that place.
For the most part, these are proud people, living by their wits, occasionally (in the present day stories), their wits dulled by the omnipotent scourge of meth that has taken hold in that part of the country. Many of the stories have an undercurrent of violence, which feels appropriate, rather than gratuitous. A few of the stories situate Rash's pocket of Appalachia within the larger American South (I thought repeatedly of After Appomattox as I read Dead Confederates), but more often Rash's story serve to remind the reader just how isolated - culturally, emotionally, and geographically - these hills are.
In sum, Burning Bright is an excellent collection of short stories told with a unique perspective and voice. They are a reminder, too, of the many and varied landscapes that crisscross this country.
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