Reflections on Whistlin' and Crowin' Women of Appalachia

            I thoroughly enjoyed reading Whistlin’ and Crowin’ Women of Appalachia by Katherine Kelleher Sohn.  It was interesting to see someone focus and write about an area of land that people say negative things about, but really know nothing.  It was more than just a study that Sohn did.   It was showing me as a reader the hard lifestyles of a woman in Appalachia and their goal to becoming literate.  Being able to explore the lives of these women and how far they came and what they went through to becoming literate was really moving.

            What surprised me most was just how Sohn portrayed these women’s lives to me as a reader.  I felt like I connected with what Sohn was writing about these women.  She was able to describe them so vividly, I felt like I knew these women in real life.  The things that happened in each woman’s life, while they were striving to better themselves and get their degrees also surprised me.  The women’s passion for education really makes someone like me reflect on how much some college kids don’t care about education.  They want to get insanely drunk and smoke their brains out.  These women care enough to get the education while taking care of their children and husbands. 

            The only thing I would disagree with is the part where she relates the women to flowers; it was really corny to be honest.  I also disagree with the fact that she didn’t use the actually women’s words.  I understand that it was a scientific study and Sohn should write in proper English, but I feel that actually having the women’s real voice come out would of enhanced the book.  Just look at Huckleberry Finn, the language in that book enhances the geography and the way things were said back then.

            If I had to pick something that I could relate to from this book, it would be seeing older people go back to school.  Before I transferred to Ohio University I went to a community college and saw people in their late thirties to late seventies coming back to school to better themselves.  Most of the people I met were out of work because of the struggling economy and they wanted to take a positive step forward to enhance their education and improve their lives for not only themselves, but for their families especially.  Some were also in college and cracked under pressure and had to dropout and some had children in school and didn’t get the opportunity.  Every person I met encourage me to not fall into the situation they did and always encouraged me until I graduated with my Associate of Arts.  I don’t know what kind of student I would be today; if I didn’t get some guidance and advice from those people I met.  These people are just like the women in the book, they care about their education and are willing to do what they can to better themselves. 

            I think that Sohn’s book helps to support feminism and provide a voice for women, who’s voice seems to go missing in the American culture where we don’t seem to value them as much.  It helps to fight the stereotype of people from Appalachia and the perception that they’re stupid and uneducated.  Finally, the book states that we shouldn’t look down on a particular area based on preconceived notions of said land.  More and more judgmental people should read this book.