Cleveland Jones. The Firescalds Road to the Sky. Summerville, SC: Holy Fire Publishing, 2009.

The Firescalds Road to the Sky is the life story of a young boy, called simply RC, growing up during the 1950s and ’60s. As a small child, RC lives happily on his family’s farm in the beautiful Appalachian Mountains. But when hard times come to the farm, RC’s father EC has to go back to work building ships in Newport News, Virginia. Getting by but unhappy at being separated, the family relies on hard work and their Christian faith, somehow finding a way to survive and be together. RC does his part, too: hauling groceries, mowing lawns, delivering papers, and anything else he can for his mother, sisters, and at times faraway father. He even has a furry, fierce companion for a few years: a spirited Airedale named Bobby. But the evils of the world are constantly at hand, and RC must remind himself to follow what he has been taught in order to stay safe and true to his faith. RC’s story is a successful one: he leads an upright, Christian life, and goes to college all the way in California. In the end, though, he returns to his roots in the Appalachians, where he finds what he has somehow always known: his family farm is the true road to Heaven.

This book promotes a strong Christian view of modern society and history and is filled with direct quotations from the Bible. It offers an inspiring story of a young man who pulled himself up by his bootstraps and found comfort in both the strength of his family and his religion.

Check for this title’s availability in the UNC-Chapel Hill library catalog. 

14 Comments

Filed under 2000-2009, 2009, Jackson, Jones, Cleveland, Mountains, Religious/Inspirational

14 Responses to Cleveland Jones. The Firescalds Road to the Sky. Summerville, SC: Holy Fire Publishing, 2009.

  1. Sylvia

    Great book!! love it!! Takes me back to when -America was America!! Authentic and really real! No political correctness here!

  2. susan jenkins

    A wonderful book! This author takes you into his world and takes you back to a time that is about perserverance, survival and hope. A beautiful story that I would recommend to every American!

  3. Bruce Jones

    Authentic book about a way of life that most people do not know about today! Everyone should read to appreciate how life was in the 1940’s to 1950’s. Living off the land was a reality for this family.

  4. Caron Jones

    Loved the childhood stories of RC and how he survived in a North Carolina mountain town. Once he moved with his family, life was very different. My favorite part was reading about RC and his dog, Bobby.

  5. Rhonda Moss Hall

    It’s rare that you find a book so beautifully written that it can make you see truth and feel the love in every word.

  6. Marc

    A wonderful reading club book… engaging and thought provoking. Recommend it to your reading club friends and they will thank you for it!

  7. Some of the stories of the 40’s and 50’s I find interesting, but RC’s story was absolutely memorable. Few people today wouldn’t know how to live off the land if they had to.

  8. troytaylor@mefitnss.com

    Ron’s historical account of a NC family was both transparent and a riveting glimpse back at the work ethic, risk taking, and Judeo Christian values that made America great. – Troy Taylor

  9. Helen Rainelle

    Absolutely loved the book! Comfortable read. Indeed, I will share with my very large family and my father, now 90 years old! I am sure, they too, will have memories stirred of the places and the times. So glad I now have my own copy to treasure and pull from the bookshelf for a second read when I feel like going home again. Thank you for dusting off my forgotten memories.

  10. Sylvia

    Helen, I am so glad you loved the book. I knew you would.

  11. A wonderful book! I love it!

  12. John

    Just days ago I became aware of The Firescalds Road to the Sky. I couldn’t
    put this book down until I had read the very last page. It is a riveting novel
    filled with inspiring examples of how good can triumph over evil when your
    life is anchored with family and a strong belief system. At times, the main
    character RC demonstrates superhuman strength as he faces one obstacle
    after another. I highly recommend this book for all readers. It is a book
    that belongs in all schools and libraries in America.

  13. Gary Alexander

    If you’re of a certain age, this book takes you back to a different world, of hard work and family values, of young people living out the dreams of their idealistic youth, greeting the dawn of a new world, only to find that their greatest heroes have fatal flaws. They end up driving you from their presence like the angels who eject Adam and Eve from the Garden. I was there with the author when the key event of this drama happened (in 1964), and he captured that world perfectly.

  14. Dr. J. Gudeman

    I have been very favorably impressed with THE FIRESCALDS ROAD TO THE SKY. After reading this gripping novel from cover to cover, I ordered eight copies for my relatives and friends. It is a book I will refer to for the rest of my life. If you capture the spirit of this book you will be able to overcome any challenge you will ever face in life. THANK YOU Cleveland Jones!