Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Waiting on Wednesday: THE BALLAD OF TOM DOOLEY by Sharyn McCrumb


"WAITING ON WEDNESDAY"
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Join in and tell us . . .

What are you waiting for?

My pick for this week is . . .



Pub. Date: August 2011
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Format: Hardcover , 336pp
ISBN-13: 9780312558178
ISBN: 0312558171


Description (from the publisher):
A literary triumph—what began as a fictional re-telling of the historical account of one of the most famous mountain ballads of all time became an astonishing revelation of the real culprit responsible for the murder of Laura Foster.
  Hang down your head, Tom Dooley…The folk song, made famous by the Kingston Trio, recounts a tragedy in the North Carolina mountains after the Civil War. Laura Foster, a simple country girl, was murdered and her lover Tom Dula was hanged for the crime. The sensational elements in the case attracted national attention: a man and his beautiful, married lover accused of murdering the other-woman; the former governor of North Carolina spearheading the defense; and a noble gesture from the prisoner on the eve of his execution, saving the woman he really loved. 

With the help of historians, lawyers, and researchers, Sharyn McCrumb visited the actual sites, studied the legal evidence, and uncovered a missing piece of the story that will shock those who think they already know what happened—and may also bring belated justice to an innocent man. What seemed at first to be a sordid tale of adultery and betrayal was transformed by the new discoveries into an Appalachian Wuthering Heights. Tom Dula and Ann Melton had a profound romance spoiled by the machinations of their servant, Pauline Foster.
 
Bringing to life the star-crossed lovers of this mountain tragedy, Sharyn McCrumb gifts understanding and compassion to her compelling tales of Appalachia, and solidifies her status as one of today's great Southern writers.

Click here to visit the author's website.

6 comments:

bermudaonion said...

I'm waiting on this one too! Sharyn McCrumb is coming here for a Book Your Lunch event!

Anonymous said...

This is a nice pick. It's been quite a while since Sharyn McCrumb has written an entry into her mountain series. Now I have that song stuck in my head! LOL

Anonymous said...

Sounds like a good read, nice choice.

http://tributebooksmama.blogspot.com/2011/07/waiting-on-wednesday.html

Anonymous said...

I've loved the Ballad Novels I've read, but I didn't realize another one was coming out. Putting it on my wishlist right now.

Zibilee said...

The fact that this one is likened to Wuthering Heights makes me very curious indeed. I am now waiting on this one too! Thanks for letting me know!

Marie Cloutier said...

Sounds like a great read. I don't read enough Southern lit!