King's Mountain: A Ballad Novel by Sharon McCrumb 326 pages

Sharon McCrumb is one of those authors on my must read list. Her books are most often set in Appalachia and this is a book in her "Ballad" series. The book is based on real events and real people (some of whom are McCrumb's ancestors.)

The book focuses on John Sevier, a father of eight, who lives in the North Carolina mountains. He and his neighbors have stayed out of the Revolutionary War as they are busy dealing with Indian raids, though they are Whigs, loyal to the Revolution. The "Overmountain Men" as they are called, are pulled into the war in 1780 when a British Army Major, Patrick Ferguson tells them to stay out of the fighting "or else." Well, that's fighting words for these folks. The militia soldiers who eventually meet up with Ferguson are from North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Virginia.

We also get glimpses into the life of Major Patrick Ferguson, a second son of a Scottish lord, and his two washer women, Virginia Paul and Virginia Sal.

Sharyn McCrumb, once again, tells a great story.