The Ballad of Tom Dooley

A Ballad Novel

Sharyn McCrumb

Thomas Dunne Books

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A literary triumph—what began as a fictional re-telling of the historical account of one of the most famous mountain ballads of all time became an astonishing revelation of the real culprit responsible for the murder of Laura Foster

Hang down your head, Tom Dooley…The folk song, made famous by the Kingston Trio, recounts a tragedy in the North Carolina mountains after the Civil War. Laura Foster, a simple country girl, was murdered and her lover Tom Dula was hanged for the crime. The sensational elements in the case attracted national attention: a man and his beautiful, married lover accused of murdering the other-woman; the former governor of North Carolina spearheading the defense; and a noble gesture from the prisoner on the eve of his execution, saving the woman he really loved. 

With the help of historians, lawyers, and researchers, Sharyn McCrumb visited the actual sites, studied the legal evidence, and uncovered a missing piece of the story that will shock those who think they already know what happened—and may also bring belated justice to an innocent man. What seemed at first to be a sordid tale of adultery and betrayal was transformed by the new discoveries into an Appalachian Wuthering Heights. Tom Dula and Ann Melton had a profound romance spoiled by the machinations of their servant, Pauline Foster.

Bringing to life the star-crossed lovers of this mountain tragedy, Sharyn McCrumb gifts understanding and compassion to her compelling tales of Appalachia, and solidifies her status as one of today's great Southern writers.

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The Ballad of Tom Dooley by Sharyn McCrumb--Audio Excerpt

Listen to an audio excerpt of the book The Ballad of Tom Dooley: A Ballad Novel, by Sharyn McCrumb. What began as a fictional re-telling of the history behind one of the most famous mountain ballads of all time became an astonishing revelation of the real culprit responsible for the murder of Laura Foster. Learn more about the book The Ballad of Tom Dooley at http://us.macmillan.com/theballadoftomdooley Read more about author Sharyn McCrumb at http://us.macmillan.com/author/sharynmccrumb

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About the Author

Sharyn McCrumb

SHARYN MCCRUMB's books have been named Notable Books of the Year by the New York Times, she has been named as a “Virginia Women of History” and won the Appalachian Writer of the Year Award.

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The Ballad of Tom Dooley
A Ballad Novel
Sharyn McCrumb

Hardcover

Hardcover
St. Martin's Press
Thomas Dunne Books
September 2011
Hardcover
ISBN: 9780312558178
ISBN10: 0312558171
6 1/8 x 9 1/4 inches, 320 pages
$24.99
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St. Martin's Press
St. Martin's Griffin/Thomas Dunne Books
8/21/2012
Trade Paperback
ISBN: 9781250007452
ISBN10: 1250007453
5 1/2 x 8 1/4 inches, 336 pages
$14.99

e-Book Agency

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St. Martin's Press
Thomas Dunne Books
September 2011
e-Book Agency
ISBN: 9781429990486
ISBN10: 1429990481
320 pages
$11.99
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