“Do you think it’s a pretty name, Mama?” Martha had asked, looking very small and large-eyed as she took up her household work for the first time since she had borne this easy, gentle baby.
“Ivy Thurston,” Lydia said it over to herself. “It has a nice sound.”
“I’ve always thought the ivy was about the prettiest thing growing here, the way it clings to the mountains, the way it comes in the cutover places and covers up the scars with blooms in spring. I thought it would make a special name for a girl.”
“And this-here’s a special girl child, all right.” Lydia laid the bundle of blankets and the two big brown eyes down on the bed and made ready to change a diaper. Eh law, as Aunt Tildy would say, let a woman name her baby anything she’d a mind to, if it brought her satisfaction or a special meaning. She’d earned the right.
—Wilma Dykeman The Tall Woman
The ivy the baby girl was named after is aboundant here.
Ivy and laurel surround my home and even though they are very similar in appearance they are each a comfort to me.
This time of the year when the cold wind blows I notice the green of their leaves and the way the long laurel fronds roll up tight.
When warm weather arrives for good in the mountains each year their blooms dot the mountainsides with white and pink blossoms.
Today’s Thankful November giveaway is a used copy of The Tall Woman written by Wilma Dykeman. Leave a comment on this post to be entered. *Giveaway ends November 23, 2022.
Last night’s video: My Appalachia – A Memoir 4 | Love of Reading and Writing, Childbirth and Death.
Subscribe for FREE and get a daily dose of Appalachia in your inbox
This sounds like a good book! If I don’t win it, I’ll have to order it. Happy Thanksgiving!
Sounds like a good book.
I loved The Tall Woman! What a great story.
My sweet granddaughter’s name is Ivy.
Such a sweet little story! I especially loved it since our youngest daughter’s name is Ivy. We just celebrated her 1st birthday-can’t believe our little Ivy Mae is 1 already!
This is my first time seeing your blog after first seeing you on You Tube. So happy to meet you. Hoping if I can find your right address to be able to write you. My maiden name is also Wilson and there is Cherokee from your area in the background. I would be interested in the book for this month – the one about tall woman.
What a wonderful story. This would be a great and inspiring book to read. Thank you for sharing it with us Tipper.
I’d love to read this, it sounds wonderful!
I am enjoying the audio book you are reading. I shared it with my siblings today. we can relate with parts of it. we grew up in Barbourville, KY (Knox County) which is between Pineville and London. I had a really good friend who lived in Hyden and I visited with her often. she took me to the Red Bird Mission and I had a tour of the area. My mom, dad and oldest sister lived on Straight Creek for a period of time. My dad worked for a little while in the coal mines there. There is still a church service on Sunday during the Labor Day weekend where my parents are buried. They use to have dinner, but that doesn’t happen anymore. I have helped clean up the cemetery to get it ready for the service. I do remember my cousin dying when I was little around 4 years old. She was close to my age. I didn’t understand all that was going on. I just know it was sad. she was accidentally run over by a delivery truck (she and a cousin were playing in a box in front of the store her dad ran). The casket was kept at thier family ‘s house until the funeral. I related with some of the games she talked about, too. We played Drop the Handkerchief, Hope Scotch, Jump Rope and Marbles plus many others. Thank you for sharing this book. My one sister listened to the first Four Parts today and wanted to know when the next chapter would be available! Thanks again.
Reading today’s post was like meeting an old friend. I read Dykeman’s novel, The Tall Woman, many years ago but hadn’t thought about it in a long time. When I began reading your post, I recognized it although I couldn’t place it. Now, I want to reread it! Thank you so much for all you are doing to pass forward what should not be forgotten.
I love Appalachian historical fiction. Ivy is a pretty name. I just love the unique and pretty names of some of my ancestors. Would love to win a copy. I had all boys, but my mother in law told me if I had a girl I should name her Ollie Belle (After her (Velma Belle) and my mom (Olive)). I’m kinda glad I never had a girl.
As far as I know, there are no folks named Ivy or Laurel in my family history, but Lydia does figure prominently. One of my great-grandmothers was Lydia Jane DeHart born in 1824 in Bowling Green, KY, and died in Swain County in 1914. She married James Sharpe Tabor, born 1818 and died 1889 in Swain County. One of their children, Mary Lyzinthia Tabor, born 1861 in Macon County and died 1946 in Rockingham County, was my paternal grandmother.
Need a good book to cozy up to this winter. This sounds like the perfect one.
What a lovely passage to share! Laurel, Ivy, Rose, Blossom, Camellia, Dahlia, Daisy, Flora, Fern, Hazel, Holly, Iris, Myrtle, Lily and my own grandmother’s name, Violet.
This sounds like another wonderful book. I hope that I win this book!
Tipper, you always have the best books! I’m constantly searching the online library app looking for books on Appalachia but most of what I find are books on the Appalachian trail written by hikers..which is fine but not at all what I’m looking to read. Guess I’m gonna have to give in and actually go to the library one of these days
Sounds like a wonderful read! Ivy and Laurel are both beautiful names for little girls. I’ve got quite the collection of book titles to look into for the cold months thanks to you, Miss Tipper.
Sounds like another good one. I’d like to read it. I just finished watching your Veterans Day video from a year ago. You showed a picture of papaw Tony in his dress uniform and hat, boy if that’s not Matt I’ll give you a penny for sure.
Love your stories and videos. I read the Tall Woman many years ago.
I have a granddaughter arriving “any day” due date is Thanksgiving, and her name is gonna be Laurel Ann, after my name of Laura and her other grandmother Pamela Ann, who passed away at 39 yrs old…. I’m sure my Laurel will be as beautiful and loved as much as your laurel is.
What a wonderful sentiment, “let a woman name her baby anything she’d a mind to, if it brought her satisfaction or a special meaning. She’d earned the right.”.
Ivy is a pretty name. I have a friend named Ivy & she married a fella whose last name is Ivey, so she is Ivy Ivey now. Everyone looks at her funny when she introduces herself as Ivy Ivey. Would love to read the book.
Hope everyone has a safe, healthy, happy
Thanksgiving!
I would love to read Wilma Dykeman’s book “The Tall Woman”.
We have both Laurel and Rhododendron around us and Yes, both are beautiful. We also planted some Rhododendron in front of the house between the posts that support the porch.
What a sweet story! I love the name Ivy. I read some comments about some folks saying Mama and some saying Mother. My brother always said, “Mother.” When I came along ten years later, I always called her “Mama.” Tipper, I received my book yesterday. Thanks so much again!! Have a great day everyone!!
How sweet! This would be a lovely read.
Darn tootin we should be able to name them what we want! sounds like another great book!
I read the book many years ago and would love to win it & read it again. It’s good to have something green to see in the dreary winter days. We finally had a huge frost here in Clarksville & our garden looks so sad now. We actually were still picking tomatoes (mostly green).
I love hearing about you & your family and mountain lore. Thank you & family for lots of joy!
I love books that are almost biographies of a person’s life – especially from the pioneers of this country. One of my Grandmother’s was named “Ivy.” I loved her so much and miss her to this day. I never thought to ask why she was named Ivy as I had never heard that name in our family tree or any other person that I knew when she was alive. She was born in 1885 Her sons called her Mommy.
I always called my Mother, “Mother” and oh my goodness how I miss her!
Such a touching and informative little story; these small glimpses of Appalachia are priceless, Tipper. As Pap, I too, always used “Mother” growing up.
Looks like it could be read a chapter at a sitting – the kind of reading that suits me. Then i can be up and on my way and digest what i’ve read. Love to read about the old ways. How i wish some of these folks of yesteryear had been recorded; not just the history but the dialects. I love all dialects – but modern America is becoming one conglomerate language. Sad.
Would be a good book to read this winter. My ivy doesn’t flower.
Colleen-thank you for reading! What mountaineers call ivy is actually mountain laurel 🙂 You can read more about that here: https://blindpigandtheacorn.com/mountain-ivy-mountain-laurel-rhodendrean/
Thank you for clearing that up as I was just wondering if that’s what it was. I rememer my brother going to the woods to “pick ivy” to sell to florists in the winter. Although I’ve never seen any floral arrangements that included mountain laurel, I imagine they are beautiful.
we have an abundance of laurel in our hills also. now i will remember you fondly when i see it!
It’s always interesting to learn how people got their names or why the parent wanted to name them what they did. Now there are some names one has to wonder what their parents were either drinking or taking at the time they picked their child’s name…lol…I have scratched my head many a times when I learned a child’s name that is so far out there one has to wonder WHY. Thankfully, most names are either family names, have special meanings or like Ivy, her mother thought it was the most beautiful thing she had ever saw and knew it was meant for a special girl…now that is beautiful reason to name your child.
This sounds like another wonderful book in which to get immersed. Somehow I become an invisible member of the cast of characters when I read. I would love to join this family for a time! 🙂
I love the name Ivy.
My daughter is 6 ft 2 in & her oldest has topped her at 6 ft 3 in. Both are Renaissance women able to make a good loaf of bread, fix the plumbing, change the car oil, keep the compost heap just the right temperature, create beautiful art & costuming . . . like I said – Renaissance women. I have a feeling they are made of the same determined yet compassionate stuff I imagine “The Tall Woman” to be made of. I’d like to read the book to find out.
I think I’d enjoy reading this book. Thanks for all the wonderful book snippets you’ve shared with us!
This book sounds like it will be another good read. I now have a reading list for the winter months. Thank you for some great stories. I hope I can find them all and escape to the mountain side for the winter
I love the Ivy and the Laurel. It is what makes this place so special.
Ivy is a beautiful name for a girl and I’ve heard the ivy in your hometown is just as beautiful.
What a wonderful story about Ivy! I love that name! I would love to win a copy of The Tall Woman! It sounds wonderful!
I love books about Appalachia and I enjoy your sharing your wealth of books.
I would love to read this book. Take care and God bless ❣️
I think Ivy is a beautiful name for a woman. Mountain ivy and laurel grow in abundance here on the Cumberland Plateau. Their blooms are exquisite in the springtime.
This sounds like an intriguing book. I want to know more about this Tall Woman.
l love reading and I really love ivy and all the greenery of our Blue Ridge Mountains,! I would love to read this book ! I enjoy your post so much!
The Tall Woman suggests to me the Melungeon matriarch character in Barbara Kingsolver’s latest book, Demon Copperhead, set in Lee County, Virginia. Great read.
I concur! Aunt Tildy was right about a woman naming her young’uns. I had 3 boys and each time Ivy was a top contender for a girl name. I’ve always loved trailing greenery and climbers, as nuisance to many they’ve been a joysome presence to me. Thx much as always your content is appreciated.
Here in Ohio it is getting colder. Not looking forward to it.
Loving your blog more every day. Your topics and your way with words bring calming comfort to my day.
This would be a great book to cuddle up with in our cold Indiana weather!!
I’m a big believer in naming your baby whatever floats your boat. I’ve met men named Leslie and girls named Bobby. I’ve met folks with most peculiar names- Mercedes or champagne which could be appropriate (if either helped in the conception I guess.) My sister has a Laura (so she had a girl first and took the name I chose which was LAUREL right after you guessed it-Mountain laurel!) The older I get I don’t care what you call me cause I been called every name under the sun (mostly cuss words) so as long as I’m called to supper- call me puddin’ and tame- what does it matter? Remember “sticks and stones can break my bones but words cannot harm me… Lol btw I saw 2 golden eagles sitting high upon a tree top yesterday morning. I knew it was a big bird but my binoculars revealed 2 Golden eagles hunkered together with one looking like it was feeding the other which was as big as it was. I’m blessed to see all I see here every day and WOULDNT dream of leaving for the big city…
You made me laugh, Sadie Belle. My grandmother’s name was Annie Belle or Bell. I’ve seen it spelled both ways. Genealogists don’t like that. About boys’ names: Call them by their first names. I was always called by my middle name until the day I joined the military. I instantly became known by my first name and middle initial. Social Security and Medicare made it permanent.
Sadie, part of your comment brought back memories of my daddy. He liked to say call me anything you want too just as long as you call me to the dinner table at least 3 times a day. He also would joke about getting older, he would say as long as he kept getting older and making mistakes he was ok, if he stopped either one he was in trouble.
I looked Virginia Creeper up and the ivy I am referring too is nothing like that.
Everyone we know named Ivy are such good folks! Love the Laurel and would happily exchange it for the privet that we are plagued with here. Tried transplanted Laurel from mountains here but did not survive. Be blessed!
Yet another book about the mountains. Sounds like a good one.
Such a sweet story. Martha seems like a new mom who adores her baby girl.
And yes, the laurel and ivy put on a beautiful show in the spring time.
I know of an old home place a short distance from my home that has a large spot of ivy growing around it. Some of it has ran up and covered a large tree. We used pieces of it for decoration at our marriage 48 years ago. It has been there all of my life and still growing and doing well today. I don’t live in the mountains (but wish I did) and thought of laurel being being more like a shrub and ivy being more like a vine. Maybe what I am referring to is not the same as what you are writing about. I know for sure it is not kudzu. I once got into a large thicket of blackberry briers over head high tall one time while hunting and they were my Laurel Hell. By the way, part of my mother’s name was Laurel.
Randy-what we call ivy is actually Mountain Laurel and what we call laurel is actually Rhododendron 🙂
It is not the same thing. I guess I have saw both of the plants you are referring too while fishing in the mountains of Oconee County, SC but just thought of both of them as laurel. Shows how much I know!
Could the vine you’re describing be plain old Virginia Creeper?
Don’t know Gene, I have never heard of Virginia Creeper. Many people have pick some to use for decorating at weddings and other such events. Everybody that knows about it have all called it ivy. Of course all us could be wrong. The leaves stay green year round and sorta have a wax look to them. The lady that lived at the home had all types of flowers planted in her large yard. I will look up Virginia Creeper.
Another wonderful book passage! Thank you for sharing the words of such wonderful writings!
Ivy is a beautiful name. I was a momma as wS my mother and her mother. as my children grew to their teens I became Mom unless there was a problem, then they wanted their momma
Ivy is a very pretty name but one that I love even more is Willow. I think it is a perfect name for a girl after hearing a Native American girl’s name and thinking Willow? What a strange name to give to someone – then after using it several times the girl and the name were one to me and I’ve since loved it so. What is really strange is how names become so real after knowing a person with that name. Some perfectly good names have been forever put on my “never” list due to the people that I knew and their behavior. We humans protect ourselves by staying away from things we don’t know but it is also true that we can learn and adapt to new things once we get used to them. I’m thankful that I love learning! So many beautiful/helpful things to learn about this life.
Long ago I read The Tall Woman by Wilma Dykeman. I’ve read it 2 more times since then. It’s one of my favorites. I might just have to take it out at the library again to refresh my memory of it. Have you ever read the books by Jamice Holt Giles & Henry Giles? I believe those are set in Ky. but I love them. They just are the nicest stories of people who live there. I spend my evenings watching your family on Youtube. TV is not fun to see anymore but I sure do love your videos. You have the sweetest family. You & Matt have raised them right & they are sweet, sweet, girls. Take care & be blessed.
Truly, Molly McGill
This sounds like another wonderful book. You have given me a whole new stack of books to read. Thank you!
“MAMA” has a nice sound and it’s a wonderful way to address her. However I always addressed my Mom as “MOTHER” and she never seemed to mind. Sure wish I still had her near.
Don-Pap used Mother too. I always found that usage so very sweet 🙂
I had a very dear friend and co-worker years ago with the Sheriff’s Office and he referred to his wife as IVY ’cause she clung to him like a vine. I always called her that after his explaination and it truly fit her. She was as much of a gem as he was and I am still sad that I have lost them both….thus when I see someone clinging to another I refer to them, lovingly, as IVY. I don’t think we have enough days, during our time, to appreciate all of God’s Blessing that I see every day and would love to see me. Have a Blessed on and have learned so much from your ‘readings’
I like reading books about the past, and have enjoyed everything I’ve read that you’ve told us about. Thanks for another recommendation.
What a wonderful story.
I used to try and decern the difference in laurel and ivy, but I have long sense given up. It depends on who you’re talking to, the names are interchanged a lot here in the mountains. Now I just call it all Ivy.
Have you ever heard of a Laurel Hell? Thats when it’s so thick you can see through it, and you can’t navigate through it. You can get in it and get lost! I’ve seen them but never been in one!
I grew up calling mountain laurel (Kalmia latifolia) mountain ivy. Somewhere along the way I changed to just mountain laurel and no longer think of ivy. Same thing happened with boyhood ‘laurel’ becoming rhododendron. There are other plant names also that got changed for me. Probably the most accurate realization is that it is I who changed.
I’ve known men who began calling their wives “Mother” I guess from hearing the kids say it so much. First time I heard it I was startled but quickly got over it.