Folklore: New book on Tom Dooley+

Subject: Folklore: New book on Tom Dooley+
From: GUEST,Cindy Funk
Date: 23 Jul 11 - 09:41 AM

So, you've been singing Tom Dooley your whole life and thought you knew the story.....now someone has done the research....and the true story is revealed. Celebrated novelist Sharyn McCrumb has had this story in her head for years, and now it's ready... Sharyn is known for her Ballad Novels, where she uses traditional music to enhance and illustrate the stories. Now with this new book, the song, and the history behind it, IS the story!
http://www.sharynmccrumb.com/prod_dooley.asp

Subject: RE: Folklore: New book on Tom Dooley+
From: GUEST,Hootenanny
Date: 23 Jul 11 - 10:02 AM

Having enjoyed Sharyn McCrumb's earlier novels I thought this might be of interest. However,if in fact the true story is revealed why does the cover on the book call it a novel? Novel according my dictionary is "a long fictitious story in book form".
This just looks like another piece of hype by the publishers. Perhaps Ms McCrumb could emlighten us. Is it fact or fiction?

Hoot

Subject: RE: Folklore: New book on Tom Dooley+
From: The Sandman
Date: 23 Jul 11 - 10:48 AM

But we know the true story.
Tom Dooley was innocent, a woman[ann melton?] committed the murder, Tom Dooley and Sheriff Grayson were accomplices after the fact.

Subject: RE: Folklore: New book on Tom Dooley+
From: Greg F.
Date: 23 Jul 11 - 11:07 AM

Fact, fiction - what difference does it make in the U.S. today?

Subject: RE: Folklore: New book on Tom Dooley+
From: Desert Dancer
Date: 02 Dec 11 - 01:37 PM

Saw this book in the bookstore yesterday, so I thought I'd post a note. I'm a little sorry to refresh this particular thread, but...

Sharyn McCrumb has developed a specialty of writing novels based on Appalachian ballads and folksongs. This song happens to be based on a historical event, so she has done her research and written a historical novel - a fictional book enlarging on the collected facts with imagined detail.

Granted, the original poster was indeed indulging in a bit of publishers' hype. We should acknowledge here that there are hazards for anyone drawing conclusions on events where the known facts are limited.

More on Sharyn McCrumb and her ballad novel series, as well as other work, at her web site

Her page on this book, The Ballad of Tom Dooley

A review of the book at WNC from western North Carolina.

The Amazon page for the book, including not-uniformly-positive reader reviews

Google search results for "Sharyn McCrumb" at Mudcat.org

~ Becky in Long Beach
In search of more light, less noise.