Our ReadWNC series concludes Tuesday, October 4 with author Sharyn McCrumb discussing the true events behind her novel The Ballad of Frankie Silver. In this series, authors and historians explore the facts behind the fiction in books centered in WNC. We encourage you to read the books in advance and bring your own questions to the discussion. You can find all three books at Malaprop’s Bookstore here in Asheville. This event airs live via Zoom, and will be recorded for later viewing.
The Ballad of Frankie Silver is one of McCrumb’s Ballad novels – “set in the Southern mountains, weaving together the legends, natural wonders and contemporary issues of Appalachia. Each story is built around a theme, intended to express an overall idea” according to the author. This novel, set in Burke County, tells the story of the young Frankie Silver, hanged for a murder she may not have committed in 1833. McCrumb notes that this tale involves mountain justice, frontier families, and a contrast between the mountain and lowland South.