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The most successful authors are those who can find their own unique voice and identity. sharyn mccrumb is that author. McCrumb, a Virginia native, says the American South is a mix of cultures, not just one. From a very young age, she noted the differences between what she calls “plain people” and “mountain people.” McCromb was frustrated that the South was represented primarily by plantation culture. For this reason, his work focuses on the life of the first mountain people; the culture that she feels most a part of. Against the backdrop of the Appalachian Mountains, this celebrated author commands the hearts of her readers to search the oft-forgotten and often heartbreaking lives of the people who came before her.
almost all of mccrumb’s novels are set in the american appalachian mountain range. in these books, mccrumb explores the relationship between the people of this region and how they interact with the natural world around them. For some of Ella’s characters, like Ella’s Katie Wyler Walks These Hills, the mountains are a force of nature to be feared, yet they retain their breathtaking beauty. At King’s Mountain, the landscape is the site of a momentous victory that demonstrated the resilience of the southerners.
one of his most successful pieces was st. Valley. This modernized retelling of the Canterbury Tales follows the lives of NASCAR fans as they seek to honor immortalized NASCAR racer Dale Earnhardt. this piece shows how playful mccrumb can be. by modernizing this classic, she made it much more accessible to the people around her. it’s full of wacky, eccentric southern flair, and an original cast of characters to match. she was able to apply her own life to this very old literary work. st. dale became the awa book of the year. she followed this book with two more in her nascar series; once around the track and shepherd faster
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some consider mccrumb a historian. he goes to great lengths in his research to make sure his books are historically accurate. Unlike a history textbook, McCromb humanizes American history. she can use her characters to show how wars, industry, and technological advances affected ordinary American citizens. when a history teacher talks about the civil war, she can tell how many lives were lost. but mccrumb goes further, giving the dead a name and how death affected those who loved them. she also makes a point of not only covering white American history, but Native American history as well. she is at the forefront of southern historical fiction.
like many authors, mccrumb draws inspiration from his own family history. Both of his grandfathers were what are known as “circuit preachers.” In the early 1900s, they rode from town to town spreading the word of the lord. hearing the stories of her adventures kindled a passionate fire within her to become a storyteller as well, spreading the culture of her region. her own family was a mix of southern culture, with her mother and father hailing from two very different worlds. mccrumb opposes the “unwritten rules” of her mother’s culture, while she dignifies her father’s simpler ways.
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mccrumb breaks the rules. she wants to tackle difficult topics for what they are. For example, in his New York Times bestseller, The Ballad of Tom Dooley, he addresses the centuries-old murder trial of Laura Foster. this was not a pretty story. In fact, McCromb goes to great lengths to make it as gritty as the real lives affected by this murder. It begins with the teenage adventure between Tom and Ann Foster. for a matter of stability, she marries an older farmer. Tom decides to try to make a name for himself by signing up to fight in the Confederate Army. upon his return, the romance between them only rekindles. Fearing the community’s judgment of her, Ann instigates an affair between Tom and Laura’s cousin, Pauline. This way, people will assume that Tom is visiting Pauline at the house, which is less of a scandal since Pauline is not married. Tom then spreads syphilis between Ann, Pauline, and her other cousin Laura. Shortly after, Laura Foster was found murdered in an abandoned farmhouse. Was Laura killed by her lover, or by one of her jealous cousins? So many authors would be tempted to spice this story up with romance, but McCrumb breaks the mold by portraying this circle of people as vaguely dispassionate country folk who simply use each other for pleasure. mccrumb is bold. This novel was a huge success thanks to the hard work that McCrumb put into researching it. she partnered with lawyers, researchers, and historians to deliver the most accurate and engaging text possible. It is considered the American Wuthering Heights.
this was not mccrumb’s first work related to a murder mystery. in fact, his earliest work was a series of novels following elizabeth macpherson, an amateur detective. In her first adventure, MacPherson must find out who the killer is at her cousin’s wedding party. On the next search for her, Elizabeth grows weary of mediating between an Indian tribe and an Appalachian excavation team. things only get more complicated when one of them is killed. it’s clear that the character of elizabeth is, in many ways, an extension of mccrumb herself. they are both strong and intelligent women who love their surroundings, history and getting to the bottom of things. Especially in these books, McCrumb weaves her words with humor and insight.
sharyn mccrumb has written more than twenty novels. He has won a number of awards, including the Outstanding Contribution to the Appalachian Literature Prize, the Chaffin Award for Achievement in Southern Literature, and the Los Angeles Times Notable Book Citation, to name a few. Perhaps her greatest achievement is being a New York Times bestselling author. her work has been translated into eleven different languages, including Arabic, Dutch, Italian, Japanese, French and German. she is studied by students of literature from all over the world. mccrumb is a restless soul and will probably never stop writing. he currently lives in the blue ridge region of virginia.
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