Creeker: A Woman's Journey
Published: University of Kentucky Press 2002
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- Book Review:
A memoir of growing up in, and then living outside of, eastern Kentuckys Appalachian Mountains, by an author proud of her heritage. Linda Sue Preston Scott DeRosier may not be as famous as Loretta Lynn, Appalachias most beloved daughter, but her journey has been as long as, and perhaps even more unlikely than, that of the "Coal Miners Daughter." Born at home in 1941, raised in the rural community of Two-Mile Creek, and finding herself still unmarried at 17, she went to college on a scholarship and, among many other experiences (marriage, work, raising a son), discovered that what she truly craved was knowledge. Now a professor of psychology at Rocky Mountain College, she offers this book as her tribute to the family who nurtured her and the community that, though DeRosier lives in Montana, she still calls home. Her hillbilly-influenced syntax (for which a full and entertaining glossary is provided) shines through the palimpsests of higher education and feminism, giving readers a hint of what life as a "creeker" (i.e., one who grew up in the more rural hollers of Appalachia) must have sounded like. Though her childhood was in some ways characteristic of those highly intelligent women who grew up stifled by the 50s and discovered themselves in the 60s, there is nothing typical about this memoir, which is full of not only the language but also the values, humor, and perseverance of DeRosiers family. The sheer amount of physical work, as portrayed in her descriptions of the routine of chores and cooking and farming, provide quite a contrast to the Leave It to Beaver image of the typical 50s suburban household. By the time she writes that "there is a comin-home spirit that is an essential part of growing up in Appalachia," that much, and quite a bit more, is abundantly clear. Rich in both language and history, enjoyable, informative, and "sharpern ary tack." Kirkus Reviews