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4th out of 219 books
—
380 voters
She Walks These Hills (Ballad #3)
Fear more chilling than approaching winter blankets the Appalachian community of Dark Hollow, Tennessee. Some believe that the ghost of Katie Wyler, kidnapped by Shawnee two hundred years ago, is once again roaming the hills. Even more frightening, a convicted murderer has escaped prison and is heading home with his woodsman's cunning, mocking all attempts to keep him from...more
Paperback, 448 pages
Published
October 1st 1995
by Signet
(first published 1994)
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I love books with strong plots, and the architecture of McCrumb's novel has an admirable set of relationships between past and present. The foundation of her novel is based on the legend of Katie Wyler, an 18th century settler, captured and held by the Shawnee until she escaped and walked miles and miles home (roughly from Morgantown to Ashville)in hopes of reconnecting with her people. McCrumb juxtaposes this tale with several characters who live in Appalachia in the late 20th Century. Each con...more
This was an alright story. It is about many different people in a small town in the Appalations(sp?) and their connection to each other. There is an elderly escaped convict, a middle aged woman dispatcher who wants to be a deputy(and feels the need to explain this on every friggen level), a history Student who tries to walk the 200 year old trail of a girl who escaped the indians and maybe a ghost. There is also a of a radio dj(who really bugged me, but I don't like radio dj's so thats a Jessi...more
I'll admit to having been disappointed when McCrumb segued into her NASCAR books, but understand the desire to evolve. Of her many ballad books I loved this one most because of the way that she wove together the history, the mystery and the ghost stories. Beautifully written and a well made statement about women's roles in the past and present.
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I wanted to read a book by Sharyn McCrumb because I met her years ago and liked her.
This book is set in Appalachian country. There were many characters to keep track of, and the story line switched characters every few paragraghs or pages.
There was Martha Ayers, a wanna-be deputy, her long-time live-in boyfriend, Joe LeDonne, who was already a deputy.
Part of the storyline follows a 30-year-old murder of Claib Maggard, supposedly by Hiram Sorely, also known as Harm, who has just escaped from pris...more
This book is set in Appalachian country. There were many characters to keep track of, and the story line switched characters every few paragraghs or pages.
There was Martha Ayers, a wanna-be deputy, her long-time live-in boyfriend, Joe LeDonne, who was already a deputy.
Part of the storyline follows a 30-year-old murder of Claib Maggard, supposedly by Hiram Sorely, also known as Harm, who has just escaped from pris...more
I love all of McCrumb's ballad series. Not necessarily the best writing, nor the most intriguing mysteries, but the way that she weaves together the stories behind each of the folk ballads with the modern-time happenings is just...magic to me.
Mar 24, 2008
Sezin Koehler
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Anyone interested in American history
An absolutely charming story about Appalachia, weaving history together with the present and giving a gorgeous portrait of life in one of the oldest and untouched parts of America.
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This puts a realistic picture of Appalachian life for us who might want to think of it romantically.
I was in a used bookstore in Skagway, Alaska looking for something to read and the owner of the shop suggested Sharyn McCrumb. I've read many of her books over the years and none of them have disappointed.
This one is set on the hollows of North Carolina near the Appalachian Mountains. Since I have an obsession with the Appalachian Trail, this was a welcome read. The main characters managed to annoy me without putting me off entirely and I look forward to reading more of them. This is always a go...more
This one is set on the hollows of North Carolina near the Appalachian Mountains. Since I have an obsession with the Appalachian Trail, this was a welcome read. The main characters managed to annoy me without putting me off entirely and I look forward to reading more of them. This is always a go...more
Sharon McCrumb has roots in the Smokey Mountains. This book is partly about a young woman who was taken by the Indians from her family in the hills. She escapes and her ghost walks the hills. A professor of local history decides to hike her route of escape. He doesn't know anything about hiking and the timing is bad. The local police are also looking for an escaped prisoner who is serving a life sentence for a brutal murder many years ago. He is trying to get home and be with his wife and baby w...more
This is the 3rd book in the Ballad series that I have read and I loved it. The story revolves around a young woman in the 1700s, who was kidnapped by Indians, and an older man in the 1990s, who escaped from prison. Sharyn McCrumb intertwines the stories beautifully. The characters are well written and the description of the scenery and landscape made me feel like I was hiking in the mountains. What I loved about the book was the various story lines, each one with a small twist, some expected and...more
There is nothing that Sharyn McCrumb writes that I don't enjoy, especially the Ballad Mysteries and the Elizabeth MacPherson series. And of all the books of Ms. McCrumb's that I've read....She Walks These Hills is still my favorite. I've read it at least 3 times and I love it just as much every time. The characters draw you in...the story line grabs you and you just don't want to stop reading. If you love stories about choices people make and how those choices resonate through history, then star...more
An interesting story set in the Tennessee/North Carolina mountains about mountain living. I really liked the parallel stories of the young woman escaping from Indians in 1700's and the 60+ prison escapee. The story has many memorable characters which interweave into the main story. The few pages about the honor student who kills himself after a football game ties into the mountain mentality. The traditions concerning death, love, and life seem silly, but are essential to survival. Once I started...more
Harm Sorley has gone a little crazy in prison. Either the alcohol or the confinement, mostly likely both, has got him confused about where - and when - he is. But not so confused that he couldn't escape and start heading for the only home he's ever known, in the country hills of Tennessee.
But much more time has passed than Harm realizes. His beautiful wife and baby daughter are almost 40 years older. The land has changed. And Harm himself has changed too.
His wife, remarried now to a 'respectable...more
But much more time has passed than Harm realizes. His beautiful wife and baby daughter are almost 40 years older. The land has changed. And Harm himself has changed too.
His wife, remarried now to a 'respectable...more
A number of books on my currently-reading list are en route to the library I use, so I picked this one up off my snack pile to read in the mean time. (Snack pile: a stack of second-hand books I haven't read yet that seem like entertaining quick-reads.) Noticing other Goodreads reviews, I was intrigued and did a bit of digging online. Behold the power of learning more about the thing you're reading: http://www.sharynmccrumb.com. Knowing the author's motives and the intent behind her stories has i...more
I've loved almost every Sharyn McCrumb novel I've read...and this one was no exception. It has been several years since I read it, so I can't give a detailed review, but I will say this: in all her Appalachian novels, she authentically portrays the beauty as well as the not-so-beautiful aspects of the life and culture of the people who inhabit that region. Although life in that area is changing now because of the influx of folks from elsewhere, it is still unique -- and I'll always love it.
I loved this book, not only because it takes place almost in my back yard, but because of it's dark, mythic characters and delicious plot. It takes place in winter, in the mountains of east Tennessee and western North Carolina. Many believe that there's a ghost about, a woman that was kidnapped by the Shawnee more than 200 years ago. Spooked not only by the ghost but also a convicted murderer who recently escaped from prison, the local police are determined to find the real story. A good read.
The strength of this book is the author's obvious knowledge, and love for, Appalachia. Her vivid descriptions of the mountains and hollers, and her engrossing characters make you feel as if you've stepped out of your home and into a small town, deep in the mountains. I truly enjoyed getting to know the folks in Dark Hollow, Tennessee. (Particularly the DJ, "Hank the Yank" - he made me laugh out loud!)
I give the book only 3 stars because the author's use of point of view during the story was not...more
I give the book only 3 stars because the author's use of point of view during the story was not...more
Beautifully descriptive of the hills of Appalachia and the converging lives of an escaped convict who is old and sick, his former wife and daughter, a graduate student on his first hike in the wilderness as a tribute to an old legend, the three-person sheriff's department, a radio DJ and local commentator, a teenage girl and her baby, and others who live nearby. The old legend is of a woman kidnapped more than a century before, whose spirit is still seen trying to find her way home.
Another entry in the "Haunted Ballad" series set in the Appalachians and featuring Nora Bonesteel - an elderly woman known to have "The Sight". I like books with a touch of the supernatural (who doesn't love a good ghost story?) and this series doesn't hit you over the head with it. As in other books in this series, this book takes a local legend and explores it's effect on the modern inhabitants of the country the legend affects. A good solid read with believable characters.
This didn't grab me right away. I most liked the historical bits about the origin of the ghost woman legend. As a big fan of the Christy TV series, I enjoyed the similar atmosphere of this setting with the mountain music and folklore threads. In the end I had pretty much figured out the mystery before the finish and I was not impressed enough to want to read (or listen to) more of this series. Read for f2f mystery discussion group.
This was a second read for me, but it had been a while. I used to live right near where these books are set and I really enjoy all the local references. This one worked really well in bringing together a bunch of apparently disparate characters and story lines for the pivotal scene of the book. The character development, particularly of the escaped convict, was really good. And the supernatural elements worked for me.
I had such high hopes for this book. In fact, I had a librarian pull it out of the just-returned books and give it to me after it was checked in. Sadly, it could have waited. It was "ok" but not as powerful as "Frankie Silver". I love the characters in and around Hamelin, TN and it was nice to get another installment in their lives but this book doesn't live up to what I've seen McCrumb do in the past.
This is the first book I have read from this author, and I must say that I enjoyed it immensely. The descriptions of the people and places in the story brought back thoughts and memories of the Appalachian Mountains were I was born. The story was one that kept me interested the whole way through, I couldn't wait to finish it but at the same time I hated to have it end.
I had forgotten how much I enjoyed Sharyn McCrumb's novels, set in Appalechia and filled with Appalechian folklore, until I came across She Walks These Hills and reread it. I think it was my first McCrumb novel and I read all of the rest in a matter of a couple months. I don't know why I stopped watching for her next book, but I won't make that mistake again.
Heart-catching when the POV is old Harm, whose mind lives in another time and by another set of mores. Chilling, when the facade of the modern characters crumbles and flat reality faces them. I found more to admire in the escaped convict and the PTSD veteran than in those whose lives were prettier. The grief I felt about the murder still surprises me.
I've read this book several times - it's my favorite of the Nora Bonesteel novels. This one and The Hangman's Beautiful Daughter are books that stay with you, long after you finish the last page. I can't recommend this one enough if you enjoy books about ghosts, the Appalachian Mountains and people pushing themselves beyond their own endurance. Very, very good.
Amazing Appalachian mystery that gets everything right. The atmosphere, customs, etc. The author manages to bring the multiple fascinating storylines together into a satisfying conclusion. The characters are well drawn and believable, not the stock ones I find cropping up again and again in other "cozy," types. STrong female characters not dependent upon their love interests for resolution.
With every book of this series that I read, I fall in love with the series a bit more.
The connecting theme of this book is journeying of various people (mostly females, including the land itself) trying to head home, and often finding a betrayal or unhappiness at the end of a journey.
I love how McCrumb takes several similar stories from the same town at the same time and interweaves them so they're being told all at the same time - and all progressing at about the same pace. It reminds me of inc...more
The connecting theme of this book is journeying of various people (mostly females, including the land itself) trying to head home, and often finding a betrayal or unhappiness at the end of a journey.
I love how McCrumb takes several similar stories from the same town at the same time and interweaves them so they're being told all at the same time - and all progressing at about the same pace. It reminds me of inc...more
Incorporates the true story of Katie Wyler, a early settler who was kidnapped by the Shawnee Indians in 1789 ( her story is told in Follow The River) with a current day mystery in the Appalachia region. Love reading aobut my old stomping grounds - grew up in Virginia.
A historian is walking an Appalachian trail, attempting to retrace the journey of Katie Wyler when she escaped from Shawnees in the 18th century. Harm, in his 60's, escaped from prison, but has become a folk hero. And everyone's story converges at the end.
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Sharyn McCrumb is an American writer whose books celebrate the history and folklore of Appalachia. Educated at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Virginia Tech, she has also taught Appalachian studies. She is married to David McCrumb, a corporate environmental director, and has two children, Laura and Spencer.
-Wikipedia
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-Wikipedia
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“Mountains have long-lost kinfolk on the other side of the Atlantic. The bloodline that marks that kinship is a vein of a green mineral called serpentine ...”
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“Oh, son, hardly anybody wants to leave. These mountains are more than just a place for folks around here.”
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