Heeding the Call

A Study of Denise Giardina's Novels

William Jolliff

In Heeding the Call, William Jolliff offers the first book-length discussion of West Virginia writer and activist Denise Giardina, perhaps best known for her novel Storming Heaven, which helped spark renewed interest in the turn-of-the-century Mine Wars. Jolliff proposes that Giardina's fiction be considered under three thematic complexes: regional, political, and theological. Though addressing all three, Heeding the Call foregrounds the theological because it is the least accessible to most readers and critics.In chapters devoted to each of Giardina's novels, Jolliff attends to her uses of history, her formal techniques, and the central themes that make each work significant. What becomes clear is that while the author's religious beliefs inform her fiction, she never offers easy answers. Her narratives consistently push her characters—and her readers—into more challenging and meaningful questions. Jolliff concludes by arguing that although Giardina's initial fame has been tied to her significance as an Appalachian novelist, future studies must look beyond the regional to the deeply human questions her novels so persistently engage.

Table of contents

• Cover Page
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Dedication
• Contents
• Preface
• 1. Called to Mystery: Place, Politics, and a Life of Faith
• 2. Good King Harry: The Formation and Paradox of a Christian King
• 3. Storming Heaven: Colonization and the Roots of Resistance
• 4. The Unquiet Earth: Confronting the Coalfield Apocalypse
• 5. Saints and Villains: Conscience, Doubt, and the Call to Action
• 6. Fallam’s Secret: One True Sermon
• 7. Emily’s Ghost: The Making of a Giardina Hero
• 8. Conclusion: Facing the Questions, Living with Mystery
• Notes
• Bibliography
• Index