Carol Ison

Redbuds Are Not Red: Memoirs of an Appalachian Woman Carol Ison

The redbud tree that is so prominent in the landscape of eastern Kentucky during the early spring when they are profusely blooming is something that "draws" people back to the mountains. "I want to come back when the redbuds are blooming" is a common refrain from many folks who want to come back home or a stranger who wants to just come and experience the beauty of the mountains. Yet the redbuds are not red; they are a deep pink, and neither are all of the natives of the Appalachian Mountains and the hills of eastern Kentucky lazy, illiterate, apathetic, drug addicts, and generally low-class citizens. But still this region is identified as being a society made up of these individuals. Redbuds Are Not Red is written to illustrate that just as the tree is known for its "red" name, there is a misconception about it. The same is true of the people who are perceived in a negative sense, and this story attempts to describe a region that has good people, respectable and honest people, who need to be seen through a different perspective. It is written to illustrate that despite the poverty, deprivation, and lack of many needed resources, there is a way of life here that is good, decent, and deserving of the same respect and acknowledgment as any other segment of this great nation. People can come out of these hardships and rise to positions of productivity, respectability, and prominence.