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Robert Morgan's novel, GAP CREEK, is a masterpiece in poetic prose.
His words splash across pages of dialogue and paint his characters
in living color. He introduces Julie Harmon immediately through her
voice, the dialect of an Appalachian girl at the end of the
nineteenth century. Her speech is uneducated, but her words compel
readers to listen and learn from her.

Julie reveals her background history in ordinary terms --- talk of
life in North Carolina's mountains with little money and few
amenities. She speaks with calm detachment of her little brother's
suffering and death. Through Julie's actions, Morgan reveals deep
and personal insight into the sturdy families that lived on the
mountain.

When Hank Richards drives a wagon onto Harmon land,
seventeen-year-old Julie's world changes. Following a brief
courtship, they marry and leave the high ground for Gap Creek,
South Carolina, where Hank finds work in a brickyard. They find
lodging with a cantankerous old man who offers them free rent in
exchange for Julie's housekeeping services.

The author paints an intimate picture of harsh conditions in their
Gap Creek home. Morgan's insight into Julie's mind is an artful
portrayal of a girl's innermost feelings. He writes strong female
characters with ease, the brushstrokes of a skilled penman. When
Julie describes her wedding night, it is with both girlish wonder
and mature acceptance.

Misfortunes compound themselves on the newlyweds and test them
continually. At times, the author heaps too much tragedy upon them
for his readers to accept. But Julie, through heartache, strenuous
work and growth into womanhood, demonstrates the gritty spirit of a
survivor. She is the spiritual backbone of the family. She pushes
ahead when times seem unbearable, through near-starvation, flood,
fire, job loss and childbirth.

Morgan addresses moral issues when Mr. Pendergast, their landlord,
dies after a house fire. Pendergast had hidden a small coin cache
that Julie finds. They fall into abject poverty when Hank loses his
job, and Julie must decide whether to use the old man's money for
their survival.

Julie's outlook on life is simple, yet profound. After the death of
her little brother, she observes, "There was nothing we could do
about it, and nothing cared except Papa and me. The world was
exactly like it had been and would always be, going on about its
business."

Strong, yet capable of giddy emotion, Julie is the character that
we admire most. When Hank slips into dark depression, Julie's
instinct for survival gives them hope. Plain expression, panoramic
descriptions, attention to minute detail and real human emotions
are the lamps that light up GAP CREEK. Morgan's chronicle of one
year of marriage is a fascinating story of both self and
mankind.