Books: Poetry & Memoir

Crosswinds explores the constant tensions between the superficial and what lies beneath. This collection of poetic works articulates crosswinds that result in the aerodynamics of how we maneuver through life, whether we land or keep flying to reach a point on the compass, and reminds us that our flights through life are not always smooth.

It takes the reader on a tour of poems from the unveiling on a wedding night, a father's disguise, a Sunday afternoon in the park, the fear of a towering rough exterior, to trespasses submerged in rebirth.

Poems from this collection have also appeared in WestWard Quarterly, Founder's Favourites (Canada), Mountain Ink, Elk River Living Magazine, Literature for the People (Malta, UK), and a juried selection in Women Speak (Women of Appalachia Project Anthology).

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"Debbie Richard’s collection Crosswinds is aptly named, as the poems examine the constant tensions between the superficial and what lies beneath. Tranquil and beautiful nature contrasts with all the turmoil and uncertainty of people’s lives; our inner world is often at great odds with the outer one. But Richard urges us to always 'Look skyward toward the heavenly light.'” 

~Rita Sims Quillen, author of WAYLAND and SOME NOTES YOU HOLD, is a three time Pushcart Prize nominee, a songwriter and musician, and the recipient of the Outstanding Poetry Book of the Year by the Appalachian Writers Association.

This collection of poetic works articulates turning points that result in drastic change, realization, and understanding. From an Olympian ice arena to the cool cement floor of an Appalachian cellar, “PIVOT” takes the reader on a tour of poems spanning a broad spectrum of people, places, events, and time periods. From simple household chores to the emotional discovery of a mother's precious heirloom and "going for the gold," turning points channel, challenge, and change the course of our existence and clarify our purpose. 

 ​READERS' FAVORITE 5-STAR REVIEW
​Excerpt:

"From the pen of seasoned poet Debbie Richard comes Pivot, her new anthology of poetry presenting domestic themes that reflect the significance of being human...moments are captured and preserved in time like a photograph using words...​She has a profound way of looking at what most of us have forgotten to appreciate."

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"Author Debbie Richard, in her poems, poignantly observes the values and needs, the pains and joys, in the human and natural worlds.  She meshes all with the spiritual, her appreciation showered with grace, honesty, and love, and, finally, acceptance of what she cannot change.
I love her poems.” 
~DAVID SELBY, renowned actor and author of My Mother’s Autumn and Promises of Love.

Resiliency is a collection of poems composed while bouncing back from many of life’s experiences and is a tribute to the endurance of the human spirit. Resiliency chronicles my father’s early passing, my mother’s day-to-day struggle through an ongoing illness. It takes you on a tour of the street where I once worked and where the memories are still daunting; and yet, other poems see the beauty in nature – the serenity of a walk down a garden path which mesmerizes and draws me back time and again, to caverns which took us deep into the heart of the earth, with reflections appearing as brilliant as a crystal chandelier in a subterranean dreamland. Resiliency is a tribute to the people in our lives who have had such an impact; and to childhood memories–the yearning for a simpler time–a time when it was safe to walk to the country store, when a two-room schoolhouse was a joy to attend, and a school yard, a haven.

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 "Debbie Richard’s poems are rich caches of personal and rural memories: of lazy walks under moss-draped oaks, of a two-room school house and life on the working farm of her youth, of the last days and words of beloved parents. Her writing is a gentle, generous gift to each reader. After reading each carefully written piece, I felt grateful."
-Cynthia Hodell Dyer, poet and writer, Past President of South Carolina Writers’ Workshop 

Deeply rooted in Appalachia, Hills of Home offers a rich literary patchwork of reflection, memoir, and humor. The story opens in the 1950s in the remote community of Munday in Wirt County, West Virginia. Though comprised of a mosaic of individual stories, the compilation reads like a novel, and is characterized uniquely with the author’s personal diary entries and a sailor’s letters home.

Hills of Home is filled with light-hearted adventures, coming-of-age romances, pie socials, county fairs, older brother pranks, frog gigging, chicken canning, persimmon picking, porch sitting, and reunion going. Harsh winter survivals, personal family struggles, and humorous folklore, which have been handed down through generations, also grace the pages.

In Hills of Home, readers will discover that mountaineers have pride in their heritage as well as the natural resources of their state. They will discover people who are fiercely independent, hardworking, have a love for family, and a keen sense of loyalty to neighbors. Most of all, readers will find gracious friends, families, and neighbors who help one another in times of need, a quality which has proved sufficient to preserve their way of life in the hills.

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Praise for Hills of Home

"I think the book is a valuable detailed and most honest documentation of a part of Appalachia that has not been celebrated so well until now."

--EARL HAMNER, Jr., bestselling author of Spencer's Mountain and creator of the beloved The Waltons television series

Praise for Hills of Home 

"When I first started reading "Hills of Home," I immediately began thinking of others that would treasure this book just because of the names and places involved. As I continued reading I realized I was being drawn into each circumstance just because of the way Debbie tells the stories. I could identify with so much of what she has written. She writes in a way that causes me to yearn for the life she writes about. We have come so far, but she makes it seem possible that maybe we could recover some of the way we were. I am going to be recommending this book to many people I know. I hope it influences them the way it is influencing me already. I am thankful for the effort that I know Debbie put into this literary project. I think it may be more important than she ever thought possible." ~Fred Pepper 

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 ​READERS' FAVORITE 5-STAR REVIEW 

Excerpt:

 "...Hills of Home by Debbie Richard is a lovely combination of a memoir and a travel book which captures the beauty and simplicity of living during times when life was not too complicated. The narration is detailed, the descriptions are vivid and the Mountain State becomes tangible to readers through this wonderful book. It is a unique way of remembering the past and the author's way of putting it across to readers is also unique and that makes this book entertaining. The book is filled with love and warmth, and there are so many good memories which will make readers smile. It actually made me go back to my own childhood days and made me cherish the wonderful times I had while growing up." 

Earl Hamner, Jr. was a friend and mentor who is sadly missed. His contributions to the literary world and creation of "The Waltons" television series will live on for generations to come.

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Noteworthy:

Hills of Home won Runner-up for Best Book in Biography/Autobiography in the San Francisco Book Festival Awards, 2019. 

Hills of Home was translated into BRAILLE for students at the School for the Deaf and Blind in Debbie's home state of 

West Virginia.

A copy of Hills of Home is housed in the West Virginia State Archives
at The Culture Center, Charleston, WV

 Hills of Home is also available at  TAMARACK, The Best of West Virginia

in Beckley, WV