Essays 17 and 18 Summary and Analysis

Essay 17: The Memory Place

Barbara took Camille on a visit to her hometown in Kentucky. She recalled how she and her brother and sister would play and explore in the woods, catch crawfish, watch birds build nests and collected leaves to press and keep. Whenever life would get her down, Barbara would remember those times.

Horse Lick Creek, a tributary to the Rockcastle River, runs for eighteen miles and is a protected preserve. Sand Gap is the small town at the end of the valley and is the remains of an old mining camp. Jim Hays, an employee of the Nature Conservancy, took Barbara and Camille on a tour of the region. The woods and pastures were interspersed with tobacco fields and small residences. Turner's General Store was a local landmark that provided goods and services—hunting licenses...