Occasionally in literature there occurs an unexpected wedding of fiction and history — a story so luminous in bringing to life a time and place that it seems it must be real. The just-released “Guarded” by Kentucky native Angela Correll is a brilliant example.
The second book in a series that debuted last year with the publication of Correll’s “Grounded” continues the themes of the original work, adding historic depth and texture to the ongoing story. The book continues to develop the themes of stewardship of the land, the contemporary struggles of Kentucky farm families and the new economics of farm-to- table food production. It also delves into the family history that is typical of Kentucky farm families and their “love of heritage, home, and family.”
Correll is an extraordinary storyteller. She reaches deftly beyond the daily interactions of her characters to search for context that is often hidden even to those closest to it. Correll, who lives on a farm in central Kentucky, “with her husband and an assortment of grass-fed cattle, horses, goats and chickens,” proves her insight into Kentucky character and her ability to plow deeply into the often rocky terrain of human relationships.
Sometimes the best books are those hardest to categorize. History or contemporary romance? Fiction or creative narrative? Business novel? Stories change according to the storyteller, and in “Guarded,” Correll shows herself a master of telling a tale layered in multiple dimensions.
Relentless and unforeseen change, both slow and instantaneous, is a major force in the novel. In “Grounded,” we were introduced to Annie, who after being laid off from her seemingly glamorous life as a flight attendant in New York City struggles with her identity as well as her return to life on her grandmother’s Kentucky farm.
At the end of the last novel, Annie had reignited her relationship with Jake, who is giving up his corporate life to start a new one in sustainable farming on the farm next to Annie’s grandmother’s.
The frayed relationship between Annie and her grandmother had been on the mend when the original old stone house, in her family since pioneer days, burned to the ground. Annie’s grandmother had grown up in the house, but in recent years it had been rented. Annie is emotionally tied to the house that represents happier times and stability for her, while her grandmother fears the cost of repairing it would take all the savings needed to keep the farm going.
“The Old Stone house looked solemn in the September afternoon. Even the birds were quiet, as if in respect for its suffering.”
The house may hold the answer if Annie can uncover it. She and the house share a need to rebuild. This comes in unexpected ways for both of them, including an unforeseen trip to Italy, unexpected guests at the farm and a number of other intrusions that both surprise and chagrin.
As carefully as replacing mortar joints and resetting the stones of the old house, Correll builds a strong yet “homey” story. Her depiction of the book’s characters makes them familiar yet still exceptional. The town’s former beauty queen turned local busybody is someone we all know; her grandmother’s rigidity about how she rules with a measured cup of control in her kitchen will also seem familiar. Correll has crafted her characters with insight and astute observation that will make you want to shake your head in agreement.
And when a herd of goats escape their pen to descend on the groom’s cake at an outdoor wedding, you may find yourself laughing out loud.
Her inclusion of issues such as of the legacy of slavery in Kentucky, small-town mores, the importance of family and religion, the issues of farming today, make for revelation and understanding. Everything may be in flux, but Correll suggests that with effort a new understanding can be rendered.
“Farming is not immediate gratification,” Annie mused.
“Not with a gestation period of nine months for a cow,” (Jake) said. “Waiting through seasons for a harvest. But life’s meant to be slower.”
The same can be said of the gratifying experience of slowly reading Correll’s “Grounded.”