Blue Fog Mountain has been described as a wholesome, uplifting story about a boy growing up on top of a remote Appalachian mountain. It takes place during the late 1920s, as the nation was headed into the Great Depression. Many portions of the Southern Highlands remained isolated and already economically depressed. Such was the case in the rugged mountains of Southwest Virginia. The book is a fictional story written into a largely factual setting about the enlightenment of a midteen as he confronts the challenges and embraces life lessons in that time and place. The predominant underlying themes throughout the story are the strength of family relationships and the shared faith that binds the community together in their mutual struggle to survive in primitive and difficult circumstances. Another central characteristic in the story is the awakening of a young mind to learning opportunities, both from teacher and books, as well as more practical lessons gleaned from the wisdom of elders. Among the lighter ongoing themes are the exciting music and dancing that had migrated to the mountains from Scots-Irish ancestry, as well as the self-testing components of competition and sports. Then there is the beginning of the journey to solve the greatest of all mysteries; the intrusion of the opposite sex, the collision with chaotic, adolescent hormones, and the emotional upheaval of first love. From the glorious natural beauty of the region to the nostalgia of old mountain hymns to tales of "moonshine" stills to just the warm memories of growing up loved, anyone who is familiar with the old ways in the Appalachians or would enjoy learning more about them should expect a good read.