For those of you who enjoyed Sharyn McCrumb’s ballad series, you’ll encounter another side of Appalachian life, unrelated to her other work or characters. This time, McCrumb takes you back to the year 1866 to explore the true truth behind the crime of the legendary Tom Dooley.
The Civil War has just ended. Tom Dula (Dooley’s real name) vows to take life easy after being released from a Union prison camp. He returns to his home in Wilkes County, North Carolina, and continues to see his longtime girlfriend, the self-absorbed Ann Melton, who has since married to survive the hard times. Pauline Foster arrives, Ann’s cousin, who is the catalyst that causes the deaths of three people.
McCrumb analyzes period records, maps and trial transcripts to rewrite the Tom Dooley myth in this fictionalized but factual version of how Tom came to be tried and hanged for the murder of a young woman. Although few of the characters are sympathetic, McCrumb has a very readable style that draws the reader in and gets the pages flowing quickly. The fact that the story is based on the most recent evidence makes it that much more compelling.
If you have an interest in how people create legends, how to separate myth from truth, or what life was like in the post-war South, then this is the book to read. Similarly, you may be a fan of all things Appalachian. If that’s the case, you won’t want to stop reading. The Ballad of Tom Dooley.
