wilkes

I'm reading Tom Dooley: A Wilkes County Legend a novel by Karen Wheeling Reynolds, written in 2002. The author grew up in Elkville (now Ferguson) and her parents owned and operated a grocery store on Elk Creek, as did her grandfather and great-great-great-grandfather, Calvin Cowles. She is very talented in making that particular time in NC mountain living spring to life with vivd details and verbage. I'm two thirds through and been up all night reading! I wished I had gone to see the play now!

Reading it now......she's one of my favorite authors and this one doesn't disappoint.

I'm about 20% into it and loving it! I don't know a lot about the people that lived in Ferguson, but it is really interesting. I agree with you that Pauline's husband was weird. If he had kicked Tom's butt the first time he saw him come hanging around a lot of trouble could have probably been saved.

Got into that book last night & the sun was coming up before I could put it down & sleep awhile. Sharyn really nailed them ppl in Ferguson. I worked up there 4 years & got to know a lot of them, & boy they did love to gossip, which was good cause I loved hearing it, anyways... Couldn't help noticing how the Carter name was mentioned early telling how rich they were & that they had slaves. Bet that made old Edith Marie happy. So far it is a great book but I can't believe any husband would be as dumb as the one married to the other girl, not Laura, her cousin.