Press release:
Don Harris, Hendersonville, NC resident and first-time author, tells the story of an Appalachian Mountain family, their survival of the Historic Flood of 1916 and what life was like at that time in his new, fully-illustrated children’s book, Mama’s Quilt & Blizzard the White River Otter.
Follow the adventures of Buck, a 10-year-old Madison County boy, and his pal, Blizzard, the White River Otter as they experience the hardship that comes with growing up in the early 1900s, and learn the value of family in the face of adversity. Buck’s illustrations of his Mama’s Appalachian quilt patterns paint vivid picture of the people, events, and things found in North Carolina during this section of history.
“I started fishing in the French Broad River when I was about the same age as Buck, the main character of the book. Since then, I have explored the river all the way from the headwaters high in the mountains down to where it leaves North Carolina and enters Tennessee. As the one hundredth anniversary of the Great Flood of 1916 approached, there was a lot of media attention and historic photos appeared in the news. At the same time, I read a story about river otters being reintroduced into WNC rivers where they were once plentiful. There must have been otters in the river during the Great Flood. Since I have family who live in Madison County, all the elements of the story were there. A little bit of magic brought them together. The traditional quilt patterns of the Appalachians are as important a record of the history of the region as any text book.” said Don Harris of how his story came together.
Don Harris’ family has spent generations in the Appalachian region. He is a writer, avid fisherman and juried wood carver. Harris has decided to combine his degree in creative writing from Western Carolina University with his love for the area in his first children’s book.
Mama’s Quilt & Blizzard the White River Otter is hard cover and available for $18.95 from Amazon.com.
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