The Balm of Gilead Tree: New and Selected Stories

Novelist (The Truest Pleasure), poet and short story writer Morgan displays an impressive command of American history and of language in this collection of new and selected stories. Arranged chronologically, from the 16th century to the present, each tale embraces a strong, authentic voice; Morgan's narrative range is remarkable. The entire collection is set in Morgan's native region--the mountains of North Carolina--and the stories mainly focus on the poor or otherwise disenfranchised. A poverty-stricken white family takes in and grows to love the sick child of escaped slaves in ""Little Willie,"" only to watch him die in an accident. Willie's foster mother, Celia, is devastated: ""...it kept coming to my mind human life didn't mean a thing."" The characters are often the victims of tragedy, but they are never maudlin, and they find joy in unexpected places. In ""The Bullnoser,"" the unnamed, unemployed narrator stumbles into a career in blackmail when he discovers that a local landowner is illegally dumping toxic chemicals. ""The cold beer tasted both like hope and confidence,"" he thinks to himself. Some of Morgan's most effective characters are war veterans. A young man returning from WWII in ""The Welcome"" finds himself alienated from his family and friends; in ""Tailgunner,"" an older man looks back on his experiences in a German prison camp, but no one is interested in his reminiscences. ""The Ratchet"" is a nail-biter: two brothers driving a log truck on the downslope of a heavily trafficked mountain road realize they have no brakes. All of Morgan's characters are careening somewhere; reading their stories, you wish them the best, but anticipate the worst. (Oct.)