And Other Perils of an Appalachian Childhood - Running on Red Dog Road

A nostalgic story full of poetic language, powerful imagery, believable characters, idyllic settings, and historic significance - this is one you will want to read and reread. If you find yourself crying at times and laughing out loud at others, join the crowd.

Author's first novel. Looking forward to another from her! She's quite talented with a voice like no one else. You will not be disappointed with this book, you're in good hands, enjoy the ride. I couldn't put it down.

I loved this book. It made me wish I had her childhood. What wonderful memories of growing up as a "free range child" in a family full of love. The family was poor but was never in want. A very interesting happy book.

I read Drema's book recently and thought it was absolutely wonderful. She is a brilliant story teller. Her book reminded me of "October Sky", the best selling Homer Hickam story. I recommend Drema's book. It is intriguing, well written and extremely entertaining. Rebecca.H.

A heart-warming memoir of the author's growing up years in the early 1940s in West Virginia. Touching, sometimes humorous, stories of life with her grandparents, siblings, and friends. It brought back many good memories of a simpler time when faith and family were most important. Love it,

Great story. The author did a great job of telling the stories of her youth growing up in coal mining country. Good history, good characters, this is a book that should be read by people of all ages and demographics.

This lovely, heartwarming book is a gift to us by this author.
We should be humbled and grateful to have been given a glimpse into the lives of these wonderful people.
Her grandparents were staunch, beautiful people who lived what they believed and set examples for everyone that was lucky enough to cross their paths.
Love reigned in this household. So did common sense and true decency. I am so glad I found this book and will carry it always in my heart and mind. " what would Grandpa or Grandma do" is enough to guide anyone to the higher road.

I grew up near Beckley in a coal camp., the daughter of a coal miner and a teacher. Although I was born a quarter of a century after Drema, I find our experiences with religion, language, disability, and the belief that life is good and we are to make it better are very similar. When I sit to rest as the Cales and Halls did, I too enjoy the beauty of WV and the community that I call home.

This heart warming story recount the growing up years of the author, who is a great story teller. The way she interjects her take on the particular scene she is sharing makes the reader feel as if they are sharing an intimate tale on the front porch swing with the author. Her story is very sweet and you really come to feel as if you have met her family as she shares the nuances of their every day life.

I just finished reading the fascinating book Running on Red Dog Road. I found it delightful to read and loved Ms Berkheimer's descriptive style of writing. One can picture the scene from her descriptions. I found myself smiling broadly and chuckling out loud while reading of her experiences. While you may not have grown up in the Appalachian Mountains, you will certainly relate to many of her childhood experiences with your own tales told. Why sometimes I thought, "Did she know MY mother or grandmother?" and I'm betting you will too. This was a thoroughly entertaining book and I already am eagerly awaiting her sequel to it.

This was a wonderful tribute to a strong family, with strong women. It captured the essence of a childhood filled with sturdiness and love. It made me wish for the strong values and love to be present again. Talk about making America great again!
What was missing in this book were the "perils." Maybe the title was intended as a play on words, but the perils described here were so mild it made me long for those kind of problems for every child growing up.

Our book club had just read Wish You Were Here" with memories of his childhood by David Baldacci set in the same mountains of Virginia. When this new book was featured in the Sunday Books section of the paper, it sounded interesting. Similar setting . But this new memoir was so much more interesting because Drema Berkheimer is a wonderful storyteller and there is so much more humor in her book! Her writing style captivated me and I could hardly put it down. So happy I read the article about her book!

We need more books from people writing about their past and connecting it to the present. Tearing down the past and smashing monuments is not a way to better the future.

We could do with less 20 year old's writing their autobiographies.

I guess I'll have to differ from most reviewers of this book. I just couldn't get into the theme or purpose of it. Writing about one's personal life, whether it be as a child or adult certainly brings with it a lot of emotions and memories. The problem is that sometimes the events of your life that seem so important to you may be a bit boring to others. Their have been those that have suggested that I write a book about my somewhat colorful life but for the reasons above, I chose not to. I did find the author to be sincere and applaud her for that.

Every once in a while, a voice comes along that makes you yearn for a childhood you never lived. Author Drema Hall Berkheimer invites you to skip along with her, big sis Vonnie, and best friend Sissy into the coal mining hills and hollers of West Virginia, at a time when gypsies and hobos were as common as doctors who made house calls.

My husband is a longtime fan of Drema's work. Tom calls Running On Red Dog Road "The Waltons meet Little House on the Prairie told with Mark Twain’s humor."

We both highly recommend this book.

Drema and I met at the The Writer's Garret​ in 2008. I fell in love with this book the moment she started reading those early chapters in critique.

Kathleen M. Rodgers, award-winning author of Johnnie Come Lately

Running on Red Dog Road by Drema Hall Berkheimer

In the deep country of West Virginia, Drema Berkheimer grew up under the strong guidance of Pentecostal grandparents who have some experiences that you can’t quite believe. This memoir, Running on Red Dog Road is replete with emotion, with the pain of losing one’s father and trying to get along in the world, and a sense of wonder at the pneumatic experiences of Pentecostal believers. From speaking in tongues to witnessing a snake handler, Drema was enmeshed in a world that was drawn to the supernatural, but what makes this book come to life is her experiences with the way in which her grandparents lived.

In chapter 6 Drema tells the story of how hobos would often come to visit her grandparents. She recounts this, “This time, he led the hobo to a stack of kindling near the stump we used as a chopping block. The man nodded and began to fill the wheelbarrow with the wood…Grandpa always said that man that earned his own dinner could hold his head up (49).” Her grandmother would after eating dinner with the hobo, send him along with some extras for the road. All of this effort was given to love thy neighbor, something that her grandparents were pushed on toward by the Pentecostal Home Missionary Society. What was most peculiar about the chapter was the pointed enthusiasm Drema’s grandparents had for these hobos, noting that they were just one good job away from making their way, even offering traveling mercies for any and every hobos they met. Although it was a different time and world as Drema remembered it, the idea of blessing fellow travelers confronts our cynical attitudes of today.

From piano lessons with Mr. Pursley to helping grandma with church music, Drema’s life was filled with experiences that many children find growing up. What was rather remarkable about his memoir was how Drema recounted the fluidity of her grandparent’s faith, how they were consistently kind and loving toward the hobos and the well-dressed, the church going and those would never grace the church steps. You will find plenty here in these pages to interest you.

Thanks to BookLookBloggers for the copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I must admit that it is the cover that first drew my attention to the book, then reading the summary I was intrigued. Reading how life was for others is a favorite pastime for me, because I tend to forget that life for others isn’t a duplicate of mine. Each place and person mentioned in this biography is unique and treasured by the author and her descendents.
As I read I saw such a stark difference to the way I grew up not only because I am from a different generation, but also from a different place. Sometimes we look around us and think that what exists has always been so, but when you read a biography the light goes on inside our minds. We are reminded that life while ended for some, impacted people for generations.
I think the author does a great job sharing some of her memories and granting readers a peek into the past and at people very dear to her. I can imagine too what a book of memories might mean to those who are descendents from those who leave behind a written map. You see as we look at our ancestors we in some ways begin to understand ourselves; this is a clear point in the book.
The author is thankful to God for those who raised her and her family as a whole; they weren’t perfect, but they are hers and they are treasures. It wasn’t just family either; it was best friends who grew up together, kept each other’s secrets and reminisce even today about yesteryear. I wonder with all our electronic gadgets if we aren’t losing some of our memories because we aren’t making time to journal them for the next generation.
Maybe, like me, you will read this biography and consider writing down your memories, both good and bad so that those who come after will understand where they came from and how important your walk with God was to living life daily for Him.

This book makes me think of To Kill a Mockingbird. Or maybe I'm thinking of Tom Sawyer. Although these are vignettes of Appalachian life instead of a novel, the reader is carried into West Virginia life through a mischievous child's vivid memories of what was then "everyday" life. Drema's stories pull us into her world with turns of humor, poignancy, love and discovery.

Above all, I came away loving Grandma and Grandpa. Their common sense, resilience, ingenuity, and steadfast faith were the anchors of the Drema's life. They provide the anchors for the book too, and the underlying themes which make the book much more than simply the sum of its parts. One of my favorite chapters was when the gypsies came to town and Grandpa caught two of their children who'd been raiding the vegetable garden and henhouse.
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The big boy said he was ten but his brother was only seven and wasn't allowed to be out at night. Grandpa took both boys by the hand and walked through the garden, the little one dragging a burlap bag behind.

"You tell me what you want, and I'll show you how to harvest so it won't damage the crop," Grandpa said.

Soon the boys filled the bag with potatoes and onions and carrots and ears of corn. Grandpa showed them how to tie their sack in the middle of a long pole so they could share the heavy load on the way home.

"A load is always lighter if it's shared. I want you to remember that. You want more, you knock and I'll give you what can be spared. I want to show you something else before you leave," he said, leading the boys over to where Queenie was tied.

He unhooked the leash, and Queenie, grateful for freedom, ran to the boys and started jumping up. Grandpa gave a hand signal and the dog sat down, watching Grandpa and waiting.

"This dog is part of our family, and I won't stand for her being tormented. She wants to be your friend. Go on over there now and get acquainted with her." ...

Every week or so after, always just before dawn, we heard a tapping at the front door, getting a little louder if Grandpa didn't hurry down. He pulled pants and suspenders over his long johns and went out to help his new friends fill their bag. Grandma followed him downstairs and put a pot of coffee on the stove. Sometimes she gave the boys a sack of oatmeal cookies or a pint of damson preserves, and a time or two she gave them a basket of eggs.

We never had another chicken disappear.
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Running on Red Dog Road shows us a slice of life that doesn't exist any more, while reminding us that such a life is still right here to be grasped — in our families, friends, and the things we share along the way.

I received a Kindle version of this book from NetGalley. My opinion is my own. I'll be buying this in print for myself and as gifts. I know I'll be rereading this one.

As a voracious reader of non-fiction & a library/used book store junkie, my biggest delight has always been when, while browsing the shelves, I come across a book that looks interesting. I pull it out, maybe read the back of it, thumb through it, decide it looks worth my while and either check it out or purchase it. When I get home I settle into my recliner (or in my bed at night, as I read for an hour before turning out the light) & start reading nonstop. And I absolutely love the feeling I get when I finish the book and exclaim, "That is one of the best books I've read in a long time!"

Well, Drema Hall Berkheimer's memoir is such a book. And it's just the right length, short & to the point, yet interesting & lively.I keep checking it out from the library but will be buying my own copy shortly because--like all my favorite books--I love to read it over and over again.

The story takes place in East Beckley, WV, during the 1940s. Drema's mother & aunt are in NY working in an airplane factory during the war, leaving Drema & her older sister Yvonne (Vonnie) in care of their maternal grandparents, the Luther & Clerrinda (Rindy) Cales. Drema & Vonnie have an older sibling, a brother who is deaf & attending a special school. Luther Cales is a lay minister in the Pentecostal church where he preaches every other week. Grandpa & Grandma are devout Pentecostals who live their religion every second of their lives, practiced what they preached, and never miss an opportunity for a teaching moment--lessons that have obviously stayed with the author all her life.

I cannot recommend this book enough, it's such a good read, a peek into the Applachians of the 1940s, with Dinner on the Ground, watching Grandpa Cales preach & baptize, anticipating Grandma's delicious meals, enjoying visits from mama when she visits from NY, visiting relatives, celebrating holidays. I hope everyone who reads "Running on Red Dog Road" enjoys it as much as I did (and do!)

Running on Red Dog Road is the story of author Drema Hall Berkheimer’s idiosyncratic childhood in 1940’s West Virginia. Filled with odd and yet lovable characters like the hobos that visited and worked for a free meal, the gypsies that set up camp in town each year, and the snake charming church her grandmother makes her swear to avoid, Berkheimer’s memoir is an unusual blend of bizarre, hilarious and heartwarming memories. Reading much like a real life rendition of The Truth According to Us, Running on Red Dog Road is infused with the smell of the savory cooking of Berkheimer’s grandmother, and the patient instruction and strength of her preacher grandfather. Though her father passed away when Berkheimer was young, her mother was alive, but for much of Berkheimer’s narrative she was away working as a riveter in the war effort. Untouched by the war aside from the absence of her mother, Berkheimer’s childhood was happy despite the odd little touches of the area.

I admit, I wasn’t sure what to expect from this narrative. Some Christian narratives I’ve read in the past have tended towards preachiness, however this one was full of substance and yet such a fun and lovable little book. Berkheimer has a gift for a yarn and her touches of humor in the childish interpretations she had of everyday life were truly hilarious. The family and friends she paints a picture of are larger than life and so lovable the reader will want to revisit them in later readings. Hopefully Berkheimer has more memories she can share in a future book. A fun and humorous read with a lot of heart.

Disclaimer: I received an ARC of this book from the publisher on Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

Running On Red Dog Road and Other Perils Of An Appalachian Childhood
By Drema Hall Berkheimer
I have always been drawn to anything about life in the Appalachians. The people and their stories inspire and fascinate me. I wish this book had been longer, it was incredible.
Looking at the past through the eyes of children is remarkable. You are able to see the untarnished truth told with innocence and honestly. Adults live the moment but children savor it. They capture details grown-ups miss because they have lost that magic and wonder of the ordinary. I love the way the author has captured her family history from her childhood memories.
It was 1940, in West Virginia, and Drema was only 5 months old when her father died. She and her two siblings are raised by their grandparents while her mother seeks work in New York City. World War II is in its beginnings. Drema’s recollections go back to when she was 8 years old. Her nostalgic, personal writing makes the reader feel like they have stepped into her childhood home to visit.
Her grandfather, a Pentecostal preacher, and grandmother stole my heart. No matter how difficult the times, they faced it with their strong faith and a positive outlook. I was reminded how adults soften the seriousness and pain in life for young children, giving them a sense of security. Their wisdom and sense of humor made me want to remember all their sage words. So many beautiful life lessons were shown.
Drema and her sister’s escapades kept me laughing and thoroughly enjoying all the down-to-earth fun of her childhood. Her perception of people and events were delightful and brutally honest! She took me back to the simpler times, when money and possessions were scarce, but family, love and the joy of life were center stage. I hope Ms. Berkheimer will write more books about her family and include old snapshots. A phenomenal book!
I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers <[...]> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <[...]> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Hanging laundry this morning to riotous birdsong, I carefully secured the corner of each bath towel, and then smiled, thinking of Nana.

“You go out there, and you hang that laundry so it looks right.”

I can’t remember — did we roll our eyes back in the seventies? “But it will dry just fine the way it is,” I protested. (I’m sure that we whined back in the seventies.) “Nobody cares what our laundry looks like on the clothesline!”

“Don’t you kid yourself . . .”

Having grown up in the home of my grandparents, I have a shared perspective with author Drema Hall Berkheimer. Her grandma, lovingly portrayed in Running on Red Dog Road, had the same “what-will-the-neighbors-think” basis for morality, but shored up with a hearty dose of Pentecostal Holiness doctrine.

There was no question about it: in Drema’s growing-up world, Grandma was in charge of things.

Not only did Grandma always know God’s opinion on every topic, but she also knew when it was inappropriate to draw attention to oneself, how Grandpa should drive, and, above all, what kind of quiet dignity should characterize a preacher’s family. Her vigilance particularly applied to little girls who should, under no circumstances, be seen running down Fourth Avenue in small town East Beckley, West Virginia. Fourth Avenue was a red dog road, covered with the colorful waste products of the area’s robust coal mining industry, the industry that had claimed the life of the author’s father. When her mother took a “Rosie the Riveter” job in New York, the center of Drema’s world shifted to her grandparents’ home.

Berkheimer’s memoir comes from the perspective of a precocious nine-year-old, sharing insights, sometimes hilarious and sometimes jarring, of life in World War II era America with its proud frugality and its humble abundance. She attests to the fact that children could and did find ways to get into trouble back then and has peopled her tales with colorful characters that stay with the reader even after the last page has been read.

History lovers who enjoy period recipes will enjoy reading about Grandma’s policy to feed everyone, thoroughly and often. Making a feast out of the tail end of a garden or slaughtering and then boiling the carcasses of an entire flock of chickens and then canning the meat, Grandma elevated “making do” to banquet fare.

Parents and teachers will enjoy reading a child’s perspective on the Christian faith. Drema was convinced that sanctification was somehow tied up with the absence of feathers in ones wardrobe, and, based on what she had observed in church, she defined a testimony as “when someone got up and said what a terrible person he had been until he got saved.” She worried that playing gin rummy might possible send her straight to hell — until she developed the fall-back plan of converting to Methodism when she grew up. (Methodists were, apparently, allowed to play cards.) Already well-versed in theodicy, she “suspected that God wasn’t always fair [based on] dealings I’d had with him,” and her top priority in Sunday worship was nabbing the pew fan with the picture of the blue-eyed Jesus.

Humor tinged with melancholy, stories that carry a quiet moral without preaching, and an understanding that the gifts of God are all good, Drema Berkheimer shares with her readers the “gracious plenty” of her own childhood and opens our eyes to the “wild, whooping” extravagance of God all around us, waiting to be seen in our own sacred places.

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This book was provided by Zondervan through the BookLook Bloggers program in exchange for my review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

When author Drema Berkheimer was just 5 months old, her 29 year old father was killed in a mining accident in the mountains of East Beckley, West Virginia. Her mother was given $1,000 in widow's pay and two days to move out of the mining camp. Berkheimer's mother packed up and moved Drema and her two siblings in with their grandparents. Drema's mother got a job in Buffalo, NY building war planes during World War 2. This memoir covers those war years (and shortly after), looking at Drema's upbringing through her devout Pentacostal grandparents. Drema's grandfather was a Pentacostal preacher who also arranged tent revivals and river baptisms.

In her opening author's note, Berkheimer writes that this memoir took her six years to complete. It wasn't due to any horrific memories she was afraid to face. If anything, her childhood illustrated here will likely strike many readers as beautiful, idyllic and bursting with love. Berkheimer explains that that was just what made the writing of this work so hard for her:

"I realized every family member I wrote about is dead. Except for me. And the heartbreak is they died not knowing how I felt about them. They couldn't have. Until I began to write their stories. I didn't know myself."

These words kept coming back to me as I got more and more into this memoir. I found so many moments that echoed my own upbringing in a mountain community. There's a purity of soul to people who live in these areas that I just didn't fully appreciate until I was an adult and was exposed to more a more baser kind of people. I found myself growing attached to this family and realized I was bummed none of these people were still around to be the center of such great stories! I loved how adorable Drema's grandparents were together, how it was clear they loved and respected each other deeply but weren't afraid to voice differing opinions when it was necessary. I also liked how at any given time, they could find metaphorical snapshots in day to day life that they could use to teach Drema and her siblings important life lessons and a strong moral code to live by. A moral code that encouraged tolerance, and compassion for all, handling disagreements with respect, being quick to offer a helping hand to anyone who needed it, and the importance of not being wasteful with anything.

The whole book doesn't focus entirely on her grandparents though. Drema also talks about growing up with a deaf brother (the challenges and discrimination he had to overcome), the bond she developed with her mother over the years, memories of her childhood games with her best friend, and reminisces about interactions with traveling gypsies and mountain carnivals. Through it all, I think one thing that really made this such a fun read for me was Drema's sense of humor and her style of writing, a style that reflected her Appalachian roots. There's just the slightest vein of mountain dialect and phrasing running through her words. Not enough to be distracting, but instead enhancing the flavor of her stories.

If you have a love of Appalachian history / culture or mountain life in general, I'd highly recommend giving this little read a try. It's a quick read, under 200 pages, but there's so much good, honest life and laughter in its pages!

FTC Disclaimer: BookLookBloggers.com and Zondervan Publishing kindly provided me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. The opinions above are entirely my own.

Running on Red Dog Road
And other Perils of an Appalachian Childhood
Drema Hall Berkheimer; Zondervan
I think it is appropriate for me to state my bias at the beginning of this review. I was a pastor in Appalachia for 12 years and I don’t live too far away from that section of Appalachia even now. Admittedly it was about 50 years after the events of this book and further north but I think it is important to note my reading of this book was influenced by my profession and my location.
In my role as an instructor in Literacy I had the opportunity to travel around my area of the world and go into homes where poverty was evident. Many readers of this review and perhaps readers of the book have no sense of the plight of the rural poor. Even though 50 years have passed since the story Drema Hall Berkheimer records such poverty exists.
One of my parishioners told me he didn’t use indoor plumbing until he went into the service that, by the way, is how a lot of the young men got out of the area. Of course now in 2016 most people have indoor plumbing but poverty still exists.
As I read this book I could picture some of the people I knew and the homes I visited but Drema told her story without the bitching and moaning of a victim. Certainly the major reason for Drema’s humorous, poignant yet realistic telling of her story is the faith not only preached but lived in her home.
The faith of Grandpa and Grandma Cales, Drema’s mother Kathleen and this rest of the family gave the family hope and strength. Their faith and the family rules provided structure and substance for this family and community. Though I am of another faith tradition I grew up with many of the same songs and I feel some sadness for those who are growing up today without some of those old songs and traditions.
Each family has its own rules but it seems that Drema’s family rules were more explicit. I had to smile at some of the family rules. “Wash down as far as possible, wash up as far as possible, then wash possible.” And “Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without.”
I also read this book as a pastor and one of the things that concerned me as I read was Drema’s concern that she would go hell because she played cards. I appreciate her honesty in writing this story and my concern takes nothing from the book because I enjoyed the book. However, I think it is a shame that so many people think that being a Christian is about keeping the rules. Full disclosure—that was what I thought too. Probably the rules were very similar: “I don’t smoke drink or chew and I don’t date the girls who do”.
Thankfully Drema has learned being a Christian is so much more than “the rules” but for me one take away from her story is to make sure those who listen to me know that Christianity is all about Christ. Running on Red Dog Road is a good reminder that God can shoot straight with crooked arrows.
I was given this book by Netgalley.com with the understanding that I would write a review. My review was to be honest but in this case I really enjoyed the book too and recommend it for its humor, nostalgia and strength.
 

Here is Running on Red Dog Road in one sentence: Berkheimer writes about her formative years living in a modest, borderline impoverished working class family in rural West Virginian Appalachia in a way that while very quaint and folksy, strikes the reader as anything but quaint and folksy. Berkheimer presents her experiences in an honest manner where the good moments shine with brilliant clarity and the dark moments are not sugar coated. This is a book anyone with a curiosity about life in the early-mid 1900s and/or life in Appalachia should read.

Berkheimer presents her childhood as almost picaresque and Tom Sawyer like. She paints a visual picture of what it is like to be a mischievous girl with a caring family, both getting into trouble and turning to the family for comfort after the fact. Throughout the book though, it seems that four things are a continual part of Berkheimer’s life: family, hard work, faith, and death. The matter-of-fact nature with which she presents it all helps the reader to understand that it is all just part of the big picture, nothing more.

I do not have any negative critiques on this book. It is what it is. This was a genuinely good book. One gets the impression that the reason Berkheimer can present these stories with such precision is because they are her identity; through her writing she presents herself. The only way to understand what I mean is to read the book.

I received a copy of the book for free through the BookLook Bloggers program in exchange for writing a review. I was not obligated to post a positive review; the opinions expressed are mine.

Everyone has a story and Drema is no different. Throughout Running on Red Dog Road, she recounts her childhood memories living with her grandparents in West Virginia. Growing up in the 1940s is drastically different than today and Drema shares her activities of farming, watching her grandfather preach, playing with gypsies, and visiting the annual carnival. She also recounts the trouble she got into with her older sister and the challenges and fascinations of living with her brother who lost his hearing after a bout with spinal meningitis. With mischief, hilarious stories, and heartbreak, Drema’s story is a snapshot in time that no history book could ever truly capture!

I always forget how much I enjoy reading memoirs. I often stray from non-fiction, but I need to be on the lookout for more stories like these. Everyone has a story about their life that they should share. They will all be different and we can learn from them. Not only are they a picture of history, but they also teach valuable life lessons that still apply to present day. I wish that my grandparents had written down their memories before they passed away. I would have loved to learn more about them and who they were outside of the memories that I have made with them.

I really enjoyed all the stories that Drema shared. I think one of the most memorable is when she and her sister were playing cow power in the car where you counted the number of cows on your side of the car and then if you passed a cemetery, you had to bury all of your cows and start over. I was also amazed at how many sayings that I recognized even though I grew up 40 years later in West Texas. It is amazing how some things have been around for a long time.

I recommend this book for anyone who loves history or memoirs!

In her biography, Drema Hall Berkheimer takes us back to a simpler, kinder time in life when family and community ties were strong. Her depiction of life in Appalachia shows the innocence and simplicity of life that seem to have been lost over the passing years. Though her family was not rich in worldly terms, they were wealthy in faith and passed on this tradition to the author. This was an interesting and well-written book that will appeal to readers of biographies. Recommended!

Note: I received an e-ARC of this book from NetGalley for review purposes.

This was a very interesting and fun book to read! The author is gifted with the ability to make these characters come alive, and you feel as if you know them by the end of the book!
Eight year old Drema is the storyteller, she talks about her Pentecostal grandparents who raised her, her sister Vonnie and deaf brother Hurley while their mother works up north in New York as a riveter for the war effort.
She and her grandmother come to the rescue of beloved relatives with tons of homemade food which usually come from their home garden and farm animals. Grandma is a wonder - woman who can get honey from bee hives and feed an army of hobos!
Drema has adventures with her best friend, Sissy, they entertain a dwarf in the living room and Sissy's father has to make him leave. Her Grandpa has to go back and work as a miner to keep his pension even though he has black lung disease. Grandpa preaches the Gospel, gives hobos work so they earn their food, shows gypsy boys how to get food their garden and how to make friends with dogs - he is Drema's best friend and mentor.
You will need to read the book yourself to learn more about Drema's eccentric relatives, and her trip to the carnival.
I was allowed to read this book for free by giving a review for Net Galley.

Running on Red Dog Road and Other Perils of An Appalachian Childhood is an interesting read. The story is set in the 1940’s.The author Drema Hall Berkheimer’s memoir of her childhood in West Virginia won first place in nonfiction in the 2010 West Virginia Writers competition.
The book starts with Drema’s account of how her father lost his life in the coal mine when she was just five months old. To make ends meet her mother travels to New York to find work. The author’s grandparents come to stay with her and her older sister. She has a brother that is deaf and lives at the West Virginia School for the Deaf and Blind.
Her Grandfather is a devout Pentecostal Minister. This colors her life with church revivals, “The Rules”, Grandmother’s belief that you shouldn’t ever draw attention to yourself and lots of prayer. However, once in awhile she has a chance to do some things like playing cards with her Methodist best friend-hoping her grandparents won’t find out.
There are stories about her encounters with gypsies, snake handlers, hobos and moonshiners. The stories are charming and keep you wanting to read more. She draws you in and you almost feel like you are right there with the family. I enjoyed reading it also for the historical background of the time around World War II.

Running on Red Dog Road by Drema Hall Berkheimer was such a great memoir! If I ever decide to write mine, I would like it to be as entertaining and inspiring as this one. Simple stories, yet written so well and so authentically, with humour, from the point of view of a child.

Drema was born in a coal camp in Appalachia, the child of a West Virginia coal miner who died when Drema was just a child. Drema's mother worked in another city during WW2, working in a factory like many women in those days, to help the cause. So, Drema and her siblings were loved and cared for by their devout Pentecostal grandparents. These coming of age stories include gypsies, carnivals, faith healers, revivals, hardships, family drama, adventures, and more.

I loved watching The Waltons when I was a teenager, and this story reminds me a bit of that style of family life and community. You never know who you might meet living in the hills or down the road. And life lessons are everywhere.

Running on Red Dog Road was an easy, light read, but yet full of meaning... perfect for a weekend away. I heartily recommend you read it!

Thanks to BookLookBloggers for this free book given to me in exchange for an honest review.

Running On Red Dog Road is a recollection of childhood memories of growing up in a mining town in West Virginia. The author shares her stories starting around the age of four that she had while living with her grandparents during WWII in the 1940's. Her father died in a mining accident and her mother went off to NY to build air planes, leaving her with her grandparents, brother, and sister. Her best friend is a girl named Sissy; during the story you will wish you were there; the author does a fantastic job of making you feel like you are in the story walking right with her. While reading its nearly impossible not to imagine the scenes, like an old movie playing in your head. I highly suggest this book if you like reading real life based stories...almost like a diary, its written in small chapters that are easy to read and capture your attention to where you don't want to put the book down.

Disclaimer: I received this book from BookLook Bloggers for free in exchange for an honest review; all thoughts and opinions herein are that of my own.

When I read the synopsis for "Running on Red Dog Road" by Drema Hall Berkheimer, I knew that I needed to read it! I live in the foothills of the Appalachians & have heard folklore of the people who lived up in the mountains, many years ago.
This is not a book of fiction, it's the true account of the life Drema lived in the 1940's mountains of West Virginia. After her father was killed in the coal mines & her Mom goes off to work in a plane factory in New York, she is left with her extremely devout Pentecostal grandparents. I love this memoir! She recounts life among gypsies, faith healers, moonshiners & snake handlers, all while weaving them through the pages with emotion & unique charm! What a life she lived full of all kinds of characters, herself being one of them.
I so enjoyed this book, because it was not just a book...But it captures a period of time that no longer exists. A true heartfelt time with unique people, that fiction can't come up with!

I received this book from Booklook for my honest review.

We're having above average temperatures in Michigan this month and that leaves me daydreaming about time at the beach. How we love our Lake Michigan shoreline. It's common for friends to ask me for a book recommendation that they could read at the beach. They usually want a lighter read. A literary chick flick. Well, one of the books I'd recommend this summer isn't a light one necessarily, but it is a darned good story.

"Running on Red Dog Road" tells about a specific region of the United States, Appalachia, but also about a different time for Christianity. We read about the author's memories of her Pentecostal church services, from the unique insight of a child's perspective. Also about a faith healer who lived in her community. Story after story. True to the opening description, we learn a lot about the looks, sounds and tastes of her childhood.

This book is a truly delightful read. You'll laugh out loud, shake your head and learn a thing or two while reading it.

Every family should have a historian like Drema Berkheimer. She tells the stories in 'Running on Red Dog Road' (with little embellishing) of her childhood in Appalachia, with a mom who lived away from home working
for the war effort and a father who died in the coal mines. She was raised by her strong believing Pentecostal grandparents who drew the line as to appropriate behavior and loved Drema up one side and down the other. And while times were hard, afterall it was during the Second World War, the emphasis isn't on the fighting in Europe or lack, but focused on family and faith. Pretty amazing, and something we don't advertise so much anymore. I enjoyed the homespun quality of the writing. Very endearing, but never sappy.

I'd recommend Drema's book to anyone who lived through WWII, and I'm thinking of my own mother. She'll have her own story to tell, if I'll just be still long enough to listen. What a gift for Drema's family.

(i received this book free to review from booklookbloggers)

An Appalachian childhood in 1940s West Virginia comes to life in Drema Hall Berkheimer's memoir, Running on Red Dog Road. It's a delightful and whimsical look at a slice of life few people have firsthand experience with. The author tells stories of Pentecostal church meetings, gypsies and moonshine that seem bigger than belief but are told with such nostalgia and emotion they ring true. (Disclaimer: I received a free copy of the book from the publisher in exchange for my review.)

If you grew up in the mountains or are drawn to them, or if you're interested in first-hand accounts of life lived differently than your own, then Running on Red Dog Road will be an enjoyable journey. It's packed full of childlike wonder and mischief that brings a smile to the reader's face. The details are vivid and engaging.

It's a good choice for any memoir enthusiast.

This is a collection of stories about the author's childhood in the Appalachian Mountains in the 1940s. I enjoyed reading this book, because it is about a simpler lifestyle, that no longer exists. The author lived with her grandparents much of the time. They had chickens and pigs,and a cow. They made their own butter and molasses. They were poor, but they had plenty of food. The grandfather was a country preacher. The father, a coal miner, died in the mine. Although life was hard, it sounds like the author had a very happy childhood. She certainly had many stories to tell in this book. Reading this book was an adventure back in time.

Running on Red Dog Road is about as real as it gets. Author Dreama Hall Berkheimer touches upon life in West Virginia during the WWII era. As she described the steep drops along the roads, and the curved paths cut out of the mountains, it reminded me of riding along the country road we now call home. You can still find the fried apple pies she described -- just head to an Appalachian area farmer's market. Berkheimer's grandma was a delight to read about; I loved reading her wise adages and folk remedies. Truly, things haven't changed a whole lot since that time period. Sure, technology looks different, and there are urban areas that threaten the sanctity of the mountain beauty. Still, you can find those old ways tucked in the memories and stories told in the Appalachian area even now. I received this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions shared are mine.

I received this book from the publisher when it was first released, and I can't believe I didn't write a review then, because it's one of the best books I've read in the past few years. As someone in the South once said to me: "It's gen-u-ine and orthentic." Seriously, it's the real thing. The author's voice is so sweet and mellow--and the stories so heartwarming and dramatic by turns--that the book was hard to put down. You'll feel as if you've known these character all your life, and you'll long for that old-time era when life used to seem so much simpler but somehow more meaningful. If you love gen-u-ine Southern memoirs--or Southern literature in general--this book will not disappoint.

Drema Hall Berheimer's moving and funny account of her childhood in West Virginia is the perfect read for a lazy Saturday. She weaves her stories and draws you in until you don't want to put the book down. Journey with her through her sometimes painful, always authentic, and hilariously accurate account of life as a young girl growing up in Appalachia in a Pentecostal household.

I love how the chapters are fairly short, but packed full of great narrative. The author does an amazing job of making you feel like you are right there in the middle of the story.

Memoirs are my favorite genre and this one does not disappoint! I highly recommend it.

This book was provided to me for free by BookLook Bloggers in exchange for my honest review.

What a fascinating and intriguing childhood this author had! I loved reading her story. During her life in the Appalachian mountains she encountered and experienced vast amounts of interesting people and events, so different from my own. She was a spitfire as a child and her life was held together by her godly, maternal grandmother. The book is written in first person which adds to its charm.
I received a copy of Running on Red Dog Road from Net Galley for my honest review. I really appreciate this opportunity! Thank you, Drema Hall Berkheimer for giving us your story!

This is without doubt one of the best books I've ever read, perhaps the best. What makes it so wonderful is the fact that it's about real people doing real things and enjoying themselves without regard to station in life. The author does a remarkable job of including her readers in what's happening. I felt like I was right there with her every step of the way. The only thing wrong with the book is that it's too short. I want to learn more about her life in West Virginia Appalachia.

I loved this book! Growing up as a native West Virginian and living in a small town, this book reminded me of my childhood so much. I remember the Pentecostal church meetings, tent revivals, and even the "snake" congregation around our county. Her style of writing and the way she expressed her relationships with her whole family and friends was just the way I remember it. Thank you for a refreshing and joyous novel.

I really loved this memoir of growing up in 1940s Appalachia. The author is raised mostly by her Pentecostal grandparents. Even though it takes place in a different era, it reminded me a lot of my own pentecostal grandparents.

The book is well written and reads like fiction, moving along at a good pace. There is adventure, history, and plenty of love to be enjoyed.

I'm like a cat to catnip for Appalachian/coal mining town books, with my lineage having a slew of the same. I'd hoped, by the back description that this book would be one I'd like, and I was correct. Sometimes, memoirs can go wrong, but this one doesn't. Raised by her grandparents in West Virginia, as her widowed mom had to work in New York. I loved the descriptions of the area, the food, her family, and it took me back to my own Ohio/WV family memories.
Thank you to NetGalley and Zondervan for the ARC.

This is a PRECIOUS story that brought back so many memories of a country childhood. I laughed and cried. We are so lucky to have grown up away from all the technology and gizmos, and although I do not practice faith in the same way now, I love my memories of the elders in that old Baptist church, and this book reminded me just how much.

A delicious childhood memoir, Running on Red Dog Road evokes the author's World War II era girlhood, the love of her good grandparents, everyone's making-do, sacrifice, and the satisfaction of daily work well done. Mischief and adventures, grief, discipline, simple joys...the book is a complete delight and I recommend it heartily.

Completely heartwarming. Takes you down a red dog road into 1940-50's West Virginia and treats you to grandparents and an upbringing that will bring snippets of your own childhood back and the rest will make you smile. Written as a story about the love of her family and her upbringing, she wrote this for her grandchildren and great grandchildren but luckily, let us have a glimpse as well.

What I found particularly refreshing to this book is that it isn't written in a way to make fun of Appalachia, of miners OR Pentecostals. It's brilliantly written in a story form that is easy to get sucked into.....and perhaps not come out until the whole book is finished!! This book increased my thirst to learn more not only about Appalachia....but my people that reside there as well!! 5 STARS!!!

Running on Red Dog Road: And Other Perils of an Appalachian Childhood, written by Drema Hall Berkheimer, chronicles the author’s childhood in 1940s West Virginia as she was raised by her grandparents. (Berkheimer’s father tragically died in a coal mine.) It was interesting viewing the story through a child’s eyes as Drema learned new life lessons.

Running on Red Dog Road highlights the simple joys of Berkheimer’s youth. The book has a quaint, homey, and heartfelt feel, and Berkheimer’s writing has a warmth to it. While reading Berkheimer’s story, the pages come to life in a way that I feel as if I have stepped inside the story as the author recounts her childhood. Berkheimer writes with vivid description, and she is a natural storyteller, crafting real-life accounts into poignant chapters.

In some ways, the book reminds me of Loretta Lynn’s song “Coal Miner’s Daughter” as well as the song “Take Me Home, Country Roads”, with the beautiful chorus of “Country roads, take me home, to the place I belong, West Virginia, mountain mama, take me home, country roads.”

*I received this book for review*

What an amazing book. The tone is as light as pie crust used to be, but not at all flaky. It is laced with sly humor that is not snarky but affectionate. The writing disguises its intelligence in the seemingly naive narration of a child, but she is no simpleton. The Appalachian dialect is sewn into the scenes with fine thread and small needle so that it is always as much as I want and never too much. I love that I never feel sorry for the narrator. This child doesn't need my help. The book has to be read again. Maybe Ms. Berkheimer will write more stories for us.

Being semi-retired, I have the luxury of reading a lot of books and it has been a long time since I have enjoyed one as much as I did this one. I grew up in this era and Drema captured scenes from my youth and replayed them in my memory. I would read a chapter or two and then have to sit back and reminisce to the childhood that had all but faded away.. Even if you didn't have the privilege of growing up in southern West Virginia, I believe that anyone would thoroughly delight in running down a red dog road. I know that I did. Grant Slack

My McKinney daughter in law sent me your book for Christmas and I just finished reading it. You are a wonderful and expressive writer and I hope that this book will inspire you to write others. I would look forward to them.
Sincerely,
Patrick Reidy
St Charles, IL

She has a quote from annie dillard in the front (a writer I don't like). It seemed like there was a good story in here, but the flowery writing threw me off. I never did figure out how many brothers, sisters, aunts or uncles she had. Got lost in the weird writing style.

The author recounts life as she knew it growing up in 1940s Appalachia with her devout grandparents. Her dad died in a mine accident, and her mom is another “Rosie the Riveter.” That leaves Drema to grow up with faith-healers, gypsies, moonshiners and some of the most loving folks imaginable.

This memoir is touching, emotional and charming. As some say, “It’s proof that truth is stranger than fiction, especially when it comes to life and faith in an Appalachian childhood.”

ARC provided by NetGalley

Running on Red Dog Road is a story of a young girl growing up in coal country West Virginia during and after WWII. Life in Appalachia was hard and sacrifices were made. Faith, family and hard work were very important to the survival of the people.

MS. Berkheimer has hit a homerun with this book. It is great read. You laugh, you cry, and you feel like you are right there with the characters
running down Red Dog Road. Get the book, read it, you will be glad you did.

The glimpse of an Appalachian life so far removed from most modern American life is painted in vivid, captivating color. As the pages turn, I find myself running along with the author on the rainbow hued red dog slate, having dinner-on-the-grounds, sneaking around moonshiners, and dancing with the gypsies. I also find a lot of humor in The Rules, because I grew up with a copy myself; consequently, her experiences rooted in old-timers' church life I can relate to with my own fond memories. The humor, transparency and poignance from the perspective of a young girl touches and warms the heart.

This is a book I will re-read more than once! And I do not believe you will be disappointed - in fact, far from it...

This book was like reading about some parts of my own childhood. I grew up in the Deep South and my paternal grandparents lived in a cabin on a red dirt road. What a sweet book! Family is so important in this story, the way our lives intertwine. That is the universal appeal of this book to me.

Everyone has a story and Drema is no different. Throughout Running on Red Dog Road, she recounts her childhood memories living with her grandparents in West Virginia. Growing up in the 1940s is drastically different than today and Drema shares her activities of farming, watching her grandfather preach, playing with gypsies, and visiting the annual carnival. She also recounts the trouble she got into with her older sister and the challenges and fascinations of living with her brother who lost his hearing after a bout with spinal meningitis. With mischief, hilarious stories, and heartbreak, Drema’s story is a snapshot in time that no history book could ever truly capture!

I always forget how much I enjoy reading memoirs. I often stray from non-fiction, but I need to be on the lookout for more stories like these. Everyone has a story about their life that they should share. They will all be different and we can learn from them. Not only are they a picture of history, but they also teach valuable life lessons that still apply to present day. I wish that my grandparents had written down their memories before they passed away. I would have loved to learn more about them and who they were outside of the memories that I have made with them.

I really enjoyed all the stories that Drema shared. I think one of the most memorable is when she and her sister were playing cow power in the car where you counted the number of cows on your side of the car and then if you passed a cemetery, you had to bury all of your cows and start over. I was also amazed at how many sayings that I recognized even though I grew up 40 years later in West Texas. It is amazing how some things have been around for a long time.

I recommend this book for anyone who loves history or memoirs!

This was a very interesting and fun book to read! The author is gifted with the ability to make these characters come alive, and you feel as if you know them by the end of the book!
Eight year old Drema is the storyteller, she talks about her Pentecostal grandparents who raised her, her sister Vonnie and deaf brother Hurley while their mother works up north in New York as a riveter for the war effort.
She and her grandmother come to the rescue of beloved relatives with tons of homemade food which usually come from their home garden and farm animals. Grandma is a wonder - woman who can get honey from bee hives and feed an army of hobos!
Drema has adventures with her best friend, Sissy, they entertain a dwarf in the living room and Sissy's father has to make him leave. Her Grandpa has to go back and work as a miner to keep his pension even though he has black lung disease. Grandpa preaches the Gospel, gives hobos work so they earn their food, shows gypsy boys how to get food their garden and how to make friends with dogs - he is Drema's best friend and mentor.
You will need to read the book yourself to learn more about Drema's eccentric relatives, and her trip to the carnival.
I was allowed to read this book for free by giving a review for Net Galley.

This book takes you back in time when things were simpler.Drema's ability to bring to light universal truths with all families is phenomenal!! It's amazing the way she can place you in the moment with each and every story!!! I must say it really feels like your there!!!!