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Peril,
Kentucky is a tale of modern-day Appalachia. It is the story of an outsider, employed
as an instructor at a community college in the shadow of the coal mining
industry. Having followed her fiancé to the eastern Kentucky town of
Peril, she finds herself striving to become a member of a community in a state of flux. After a tragic incident involving one of her adult students, she finds peace not in the
community's acceptance of her, but in her acceptance of the community.
While this theme may sound familiar, Joe Anthony's forthright narrative
and deft handling of the characters' relationships is refreshing and continually leads the reader on to the next page and
to a deeper understanding of Appalachian and human nature. A complex, insightful tale that lets no
one off easy. Joe Anthony is a poet, philosopher, and
fictionist who had the consummate bravado to leave the Byzantine culture
in New York to come to an even more complex one of Appalachia and then
write about it with passion and compassion. As I have read his creative
writing over the years, I have observed his sharp eyes, well tuned ears,
and talented voice as he has transformed what he has witnessed into
brilliant writing.
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