About the book
On a wintry night in 1831, a man named Charlie Silver was murdered with an axe and his body burned in a cabin in the mountains of North Carolina. His young wife, Frankie Silver, was tried and hanged for the crime. In later years people claimed that a tree growing near the ruins of the old cabin was cursed — that anyone who climbed into it would be unable to get out. Daniel Patterson uses this “accurst” tree as a metaphor for the grip the story of the murder has had on the imaginations of the local community, the wider world, and the noted Appalachian traditional singer and storyteller Bobby McMillon.
For nearly 170 years, the memory of Frankie Silver has been kept alive by a ballad and local legends and by the news accounts, fiction, plays, and other works they inspired. Weaving Bobby McMillon’s personal story — how and why he became a taleteller and what this story means to him — into an investigation of the Silver murder, Patterson explores the genesis and uses of folklore and the interplay between folklore, social and personal history, law, and narrative as people and communities try to understand human character and fate.
Bobby McMillon is a furniture and hospital worker in Lenoir, North Carolina, with deep roots in Appalachia and a lifelong passion for learning and performing traditional songs and tales. He has received a North Carolina Folk Heritage Award from the state’s Arts Council and also the North Carolina Folklore Society’s Brown-Hudson Folklore Award.
Editions of A Tree Accurst
- Hardcover
- ISBN 9780807825648
- Paperback
- ISBN 9780807848739
- EBook
- ISBN 9780807860915
- PDF
- ISBN 9798890872968
Read an Excerpt
On a wintry night in 1831, a man named Charlie Silver was murdered with an axe and his body burned in a cabin in the mountains of North Carolina. His young wife, Frankie Silver, was tried and hanged for the crime. In later years people claimed that a tree growing near the ruins of the old cabin was cursed — that anyone who climbed into it would be unable to get out. Daniel Patterson uses this “accurst” tree as a metaphor for the grip the story of the murder has had on the imaginations of the local community, the wider world, and the noted Appalachian traditional singer and storyteller Bobby McMillon.
For nearly 170 years, the memory of Frankie Silver has been kept alive by a ballad and local legends and by the news accounts, fiction, plays, and other works they inspired. Weaving Bobby McMillon’s personal story — how and why he became a taleteller and what this story means to him — into an investigation of the Silver murder, Patterson explores the genesis and uses of folklore and the interplay between folklore, social and personal history, law, and narrative as people and communities try to understand human character and fate.
Bobby McMillon is a furniture and hospital worker in Lenoir, North Carolina, with deep roots in Appalachia and a lifelong passion for learning and performing traditional songs and tales. He has received a North Carolina Folk Heritage Award from the state’s Arts Council and also the North Carolina Folklore Society’s Brown-Hudson Folklore Award.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is A Tree Accurst about?
On a wintry night in 1831, a man named Charlie Silver was murdered with an axe and his body burned in a cabin in the mountains of North Carolina. His young wife, Frankie Silver, was tried and hanged for the crime. In later years people claimed that a tree growing near the ruins of the old cabin was cursed — that anyone who climbed into it would be unable to get out. Daniel Patterson uses this “accurst” tree as a metaphor for the grip the story of the murder has had on the imaginations of the local community, the wider world, and the noted Appalachian traditional singer and storyteller Bobby McMillon.
For nearly 170 years, the memory of Frankie Silver has been kept alive by a ballad and local legends and by the news accounts, fiction, plays, and other works they inspired. Weaving Bobby McMillon’s personal story — how and why he became a taleteller and what this story means to him — into an investigation of the Silver murder, Patterson explores the genesis and uses of folklore and the interplay between folklore, social and personal history, law, and narrative as people and communities try to understand human character and fate.
Bobby McMillon is a furniture and hospital worker in Lenoir, North Carolina, with deep roots in Appalachia and a lifelong passion for learning and performing traditional songs and tales. He has received a North Carolina Folk Heritage Award from the state’s Arts Council and also the North Carolina Folklore Society’s Brown-Hudson Folklore Award.
What core themes, tropes, or subjects are explored in A Tree Accurst?
Society and Social Sciences > Society and culture: general > Popular beliefs > Folklore studies / Study of myth
Where can I read a sample of A Tree Accurst?
You can read an official preview of the few pages here https://www.book2look.com/book/9780807825648
How long is A Tree Accurst and how many pages does it have?
A Tree Accurst has 240 page(s)
Who is/are the Author/s of the book A Tree Accurst?
Daniel W. Patterson
What are the ISBN numbers for the physical and digital editions?
A Tree Accurst is available as hardcover(ISBN 9780807825648) and paperback(ISBN 9780807848739) and ebook(ISBN 9780807860915) and pdf(ISBN 9798890872968)
Where can I buy A Tree Accurst online or support local independent bookshops?
You can buy A Tree Accurst from below
Where can I buy A Tree Accurst?