“Author Chuck Walsh offers a richly drawn portrait of the Tennessee community that raised and shaped Nick—only to be ultimately left behind. With empathy and insight, Walsh explores what led Nick to a life of isolation, tracing his transformation into a rugged mountain man and examining his profound bond with the land and its creatures that became his family. The Isolate is a compelling meditation on independence, belonging, and the wild spaces where the human spirit both struggles and thrives. - Carla Damron, award-winning author of The Orchid Tattoo and The Weird Girl“I'm going on record to say that readers (me!) will fall head over heels in love with Nick Grindstaff, the hero in Chuck Walsh's new historical novel, The Isolate. Nick is made of the right stuff, and the lengths he's willing to go to build a life for the woman he loves will capture your heart.” - Bren McClain, award-winning author of One Good Mama Bone “There is a tenderness to Chuck Walsh’s old-timey storytelling in his latest novel, The Isolate: Saga of Nick Grindstaff. With a sense of reverence for his subject matter, the author attempts to bring to life the true story of Nick Grindstaff, who lived for forty years in isolation on Iron Mountain in east Tennessee. In his fictional rendering, Walsh imagines what might have caused a handsome young man with ambition and dreams, to isolate himself from the rest of society and become a hermit. Steeped in legend and mystery, The Isolate will appeal to anyone who loves a good story, especially those readers looking for books set in the lush mountains of Appalachia.”~ Kathleen M. Rodgers, author of The Llano County Mermaid Club - 2024 MWSA Writer of the Year“The Isolate by Chuck Walsh kept me glued to my seat. It took me deep into the heart of Appalachia with an intriguing story of love, redemption, and discovery. Chuck Walsh is a master storyteller who compels his readers to invest in his characters. He is, by far, one of the best writers of Appalachian mystery and suspense, so much so that readers are drawn into the story from the first sentence and can’t let go until the very end.”- Joy Ross Davis, Grand Prize winner of Paranormal Fiction (Chanticleer Author Conference) for The Madwoman of Preacher’s Cove; multi award-winning author of women’s fiction"Unputdownable! The Isolate transports the reader to a remote 19th century Appalachian region, unaffected by the modern world, where its beauty and timeless traditions will steal your heart. A tale of ultimate resolve, this vastly appealing story is needed for today's beleaguered society.”- Parris Afton Bonds, New York Times Best Seller"Chuck Walsh is a new kind of disciplined writer who - unlike many of his contemporaries in the e-media age where everyone sees themselves as a writer - serves as a model of the old school where mastery of the art is the only way to earn (and truly own) the title, 'writer.' Walsh is indeed a writer in the purest sense, and a marvelous one at that; his mastery of the craft demonstrated by the ease, deftness, unpretentiousness and authority with which he tells a story."- W. Thomas Smith Jr., author, columnist, former adjunct professor of journalism, and a New York Times bestselling militarytechnical advisor and editor