Jim Reedy's New Book "Blue Fog Mountain: The Enlightenment of a Mama's Boy" is the Captivating Tale of an American Boy Coming of Age in Appalachia in the Late 1920s

LITTLE ROCK, Ark., July 27, 2018 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Jim Reedy, a retired educator who served as a college and university professor and administrator for nearly forty years and now splits his time between Little Rock, Arkansas and Fort Myers, Florida, has completed his book "Blue Fog Mountain: The Enlightenment of a Mama's Boy": an engrossing and delightful novel set in an innocent, long-ago America.

"Blue Fog Mountain" is a wholesome, uplifting story about a boy growing up on top of a remote Appalachian mountain. It takes place during the late 1920s, as the nation was headed into the Great Depression. Many portions of the Southern Highlands remained isolated and already economically depressed. Such was the case in the rugged mountains of Southwest Virginia.

The book is a fictional story written into a largely factual setting about the enlightenment of a teen as he confronts challenges and embraces life lessons in that time and place. The predominant underlying themes throughout the story are the strength of family relationships and the shared faith that binds the community together in their mutual struggle to survive in primitive and difficult circumstances.

Another central characteristic in the story is the awakening of a young mind to learning opportunities, both from teachers and books, as well as more practical lessons gleaned from the wisdom of elders. Among the lighter ongoing themes are the exciting music and dancing that had migrated to the mountains from Scots-Irish ancestry, as well as the self-testing components of competition and sports. Then there is the beginning of the journey to solve the greatest of all mysteries; the intrusion of the opposite sex, the collision with chaotic, adolescent hormones, and the emotional upheaval of first love.

From the glorious natural beauty of the region to the nostalgia of old mountain hymns to tales of "moonshine" stills to just the warm memories of growing up loved, anyone who is familiar with the old ways in the Appalachians or would enjoy learning more about them should expect a good read.

Published by New York City-based Page Publishing, Jim Reedy's book is a modern American classic that inspires a nostalgic admiration for the strength, character, and faith of Wesley and the Yates family in their rustic and challenging circumstances.

"'Blue Fog Mountain' is a fun read that absorbs you into a hard but simple culture of an earlier and less affluent time. The characters are true to life and are identified with easily. That is particularly true of the lead character Wesley as he moves from childlike certainty to mature Christian faith as he wrestles with seeming conflicts that exist between a literal reading of the Bible and the truths revealed by science. Thankfully this book does not read like a theology text, but there is some solid insight conveyed in this very easy read."
-Rev. Edgar "Hap" Hoffman

"I had the privilege of being asked to read the rough draft of Blue Fog Mountain and couldn't put it down--I read nearly half of it before I stopped--thoroughly caught up in the characters and their backgrounds. 'Doc' does a wonderful job of building genuine situations and wonderful reactions to those life experiences that his characters live through. He has an amazing way of bringing to life the thoughts and feelings that we have all experienced at some point in our formative years.

My own experience as a published author allows me to be an honest critic. Although my genre is creative children's books, all writers must gain the readers attention and keep it which Jim has done very well. As was stated earlier, I couldn't put the book down--and to keep my attention requires something very special. This is a book that will provide enjoyment to anyone that reads it."
Jack Tobias
Author of "A New Home For Mopgolly Mole" and "Angels On Seesaws"

"I knew when I met Jim in the 1970s that he was a good athlete and successful academic administrator. Gradually I learned the he had a religious background, loved music, liked to read history, and respected folks that were different. His family and the Valley in Virginia are special to him. He loves his wife and food (not necessarily in that order). Later, I learned of his way with words through a million or so poems, which he would read with or without encouragement. His friends were targets of his psychological attempts to gain advantage on the court or course. He enjoyed verbal and written jousts and jokes (although not so good at telling them).

Who would have thought that he could put all of his passions together in an old-fashioned story-telling that comes to life as a boy grows up in the Virginia mountains. I loved this book even though I don't like coming of age stories, history of regions, traditional Christian churches, gospel or blue grass music, or glorified versions of growing up poor in the mountains!

Everyone who knows Jim Reedy loves him, as do I. My prediction is that everyone, whether or not they know Jim, will enjoy laughing, crying, and saying Amen to the Blue Fog Mountain."

Burleigh Don Franks, Ph.D.
Kinesiology Professor Emeritus, University of Maryland
Who has lost to Jim in basketball, tennis, and golf!
And has admired the combination and quantity of food devoured.
June 24, 2018
"Octogenarian Jim Reedy has penned a coming-of-age story of a boy, his family and their sparse community in the remote mountains of southwest Virginia in the late 1920s. Parts history, philosophy and humor, this novel is for young and old. Like Huckleberry Finn along the Mississippi and Anne of Green Gables on Prince Edward Island, the life of Wesley Yates in Appalachia is full of adventure. Reedy artfully captures the culture of a bygone time and the power of kindness, faith and love among good-hearted mountain people who together sample and enrich the outside world through their unique games, music and schooling. Blue Fog Mountain is enjoyable and thought provoking, and pays homage to the life of his parents and grandparents."
Phil Sparling, professor emeritus at Georgia Tech and author of The Sneakers in the Closet and Other Essays

Readers who wish to experience this engaging work can purchase "Blue Fog Mountain: The Enlightenment of a Mama's Boy" at bookstores everywhere, or online at the Apple iTunes store, Amazon, Google Play, or Barnes and Noble.

For additional information or media inquiries, contact Page Publishing at 866-315-2708.

About Page Publishing:

Page Publishing is a traditional New York-based full-service publishing house that handles all the intricacies involved in publishing its authors' books, including distribution in the world's largest retail outlets and royalty generation. Page Publishing knows that authors need to be free to create - not bogged down with logistics like eBook conversion, establishing wholesale accounts, shipping, taxes, and the like. Its roster of accomplished authors and publishing professionals allows writers to leave behind these complex and time-consuming issues to focus on their passion: writing and creating. Learn more at http://www.pagepublishing.com.

SOURCE Page Publishing, Inc.

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