Write a 3-page book report on the book Gray Mountain by Josh Grisham.
1: Introduction: Identify the book you are going to review. The author, title, date, and place of publication may be placed at the beginning of the essay in the form of a bibliographic citation. Then State what the author’s goal was in writing the book. What contribution does he or she hope to make to our understanding of life in West Virginia?
2: Brief Summary: This is the main body of the review. Describe the content and organization of the book. Do not get bogged down on details. Briefly outline the main plot and condense the author’s main point or narrative.
3: Critical assessment. Evaluate the book’s contribution to our understanding of the history of West Virginia. For this book, understand and explain how the book uses fictitious characters and fictitious romance plots to keep reading enjoyable for the average reader. But explain that the events such as the lawsuits were very much factual. This book covers very recent history but explains how it gives hindsight into coal miners’ rights and activists groups. How does this book help us understand what happened?
4: Conclusion. Evaluate the book itself, focusing on style and clarity. Is it well organized and clearly written? What type of audience would find it valuable? Did you find it interesting? Would you use the book in a classroom setting if you were teaching a class on WV history?
