Hill Folks

“Well researched and skillfully written, [this] book does an excellent job of presenting historical, geographic, and economic material that focuses on 15 countries of northwestern Arkansas, following changes in how the men and women of this area made a living and interacted with one another in a variety of social settings.” — CHOICE

“At last we have a fascinating and valuable in-depth historical treatment of the Arkansas Ozarks and by an able scholar from the region.” — Journal of Appalachian Studies

“Contains a wealth of information about the Ozarks that will be useful to anyone interested in the region and a cautionary tale about the divergence between image and reality.” — American Historical Review

“Impressively researched and clearly written. . . . Adds a great deal to our understanding of this understudied region. . . . Scholars and residents of the region owe Blevins a debt of gratitude for his pioneering work.” — Arkansas Historical Quarterly

“A monumental study. . . . With this book, Ozark history now has a solid foundation.” — Journal of American History

“Blevins has provided an important addition to the scholarship in Ozarks social history; folklorists intrigued by relationships between folklore, culture representation, and history will benefit from this valuable study.” — Journal of American Folklore

“This is quite simply the best history of the Arkansas Ozarks that has been published. Characterized by excellent research, writing, and an admirable ability at summarizing the thorniest problems and getting to their essence, Hill Folks is an outstanding book.” — The Ozarks Mountaineer

“Blevins views the Arkansas Ozarks through an agricultural lens, arguing successfully that the agricultural landscape has directly or indirectly influenced every aspect of its history. . . . Blevins' well crafted narrative provides a 'good read' for everyone interested in Arkansas Ozark history. . . .A meticulously researched, documented, and indexed resource of comprehensive data. . . . An inspiring research source.” — Arkansas Review

“In the first serious historical examination of the region, Brooks Blevins measures the romance of the Ozarks against the region’s development and plumbs the anxieties that gave rise to its image .. . . By revealing that the fashioning of the Ozark image is also part of the story of the region, Hill Folks helps us to escape the romance that obscured a truer past. That is a significant contribution.” — Arkansas Democrat

“Easily the best comprehensive history of the Ozarks yet accomplished. It will be a benchmark in the field.” — Robert Cochran, University of Arkansas