Appalachian Reads is a book discussion group sponsored by Blount County Public Library. Participants meet every two months on a Saturday morning at 10:30-11:30 in Dorothy Herron Room A. The first year of Appalachian Reads began July 15, 2017 and ran through May 19, 2018. The second year starts with its first session on July 21, 2018.
The library will have four print copies of all titles plus R.E.A.D.S. access. If you have questions or suggestions, please contact Reference Librarian Brennan LeQuire at 865-982-0981, ext. 302.
| Date | Book | Facilitator |
|---|---|---|
| July 21 | Over the Plain Houses by Julia Franks | Doug Floyd |
| September 15 | Flight Behavior by Barbara Kingsolver | Jim Stovall |
| November 17 | The Last Ballad by Wiley Cash | Sarah Pirkle |
| January | TBA | |
| March | TBA | |
| May | TBA |
Discuss The Last Ballad by North Carolina author Wiley Cash, facilitated by singer and radio host Sarah Pirkle on Saturday, November 17, 2018 at 10:30 a.m. in Dorothy Herron Room A.
The book is based on the true story of East Tennessee native Ella May Wiggins, who risked everything to bring a better life to her family and others working in wretched conditions in the North Carolina mills in the 1920s.
Awards:
- Winner of the Southern Book Prize for Literary Fiction
- Named a Best Book of 2017 by the Chicago Public Library and the American Library Association
From the book description at Amazon:
The New York Times bestselling author of the celebrated A Land More Kind Than Home and This Dark Road to Mercy returns with this eagerly awaited new novel, set in the Appalachian foothills of North Carolina in 1929 and inspired by actual events. The chronicle of an ordinary woman’s struggle for dignity and her rights in a textile mill, The Last Ballad is a moving tale of courage in the face of oppression and injustice, with the emotional power of Ron Rash’s Serena, Dennis Lehane’s The Given Day, and the unforgettable films Norma Rae and Silkwood.
Intertwining myriad voices, Wiley Cash brings to life the heartbreak and bravery of the now forgotten struggle of the labor movement in early twentieth-century America—and pays tribute to the thousands of heroic women and men who risked their lives to win basic rights for all workers. Lyrical, heartbreaking, and haunting, this eloquent novel confirms Wiley Cash’s place among our nation’s finest writers.
Open to the public, Southern Appalachian Studies programs are sponsored and hosted by Blount County Public Library with the support of Blount County Friends of the Library.
