{"product_id":"9781982151560","title":"The Ballad of Laurel Springs","description":"\u003cstrong\u003eThe Ballad of Laurel Springs\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor(s): Janet Beard\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFrom the internationally bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eThe Atomic City Girls\u003c\/i\u003e, a provocative new novel about multiple generations of women in one East Tennessee family haunted by violence and redeemed by their rich inheritance of folk music.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTen-year-old Grace is in search of a subject for her fifth-grade history project when she learns that her four times-great grandfather once stabbed his lover to death. His grisly act was memorialized in a murder ballad, her aunt tells her, so it must be true. But the lessons of that revelation—to be careful of men, and desire—are not just Grace’s to learn. Her family’s tangled past is part of a dark legacy in which the lives of generations of women are affected by the violence immortalized in folksongs like “Knoxville Girl” and “Pretty Polly” reminding them always to know their place—or risk the wages of sin.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003eJanet Beard’s stirring novel, informed by her love of these haunting ballads, vividly imagines these women, defined by the secrets they keep, the surprises they uncover, and the lurking sense of menace that follows them throughout their lives. With the same rich sense of place as \u003ci\u003eBloodroot\u003c\/i\u003e or \u003ci\u003eSerena\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eThe Ballad of Laurel Springs \u003c\/i\u003eis an unforgettable portrait of women fighting to make a safe place in the world for themselves and the people they love.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eReview(s):\u003cbr\u003e\"Lyrical, atmospheric and deeply moving, Janet Beard's new novel, \u003ci\u003eThe Ballad of Laurel Springs\u003c\/i\u003e, explores the legacies—of passion and violence, music and faith--that haunt one family across the generations. A gifted storyteller, Beard brings her native East Tennessee to life with grace and empathy. This book is a stunner.\" \u003cb\u003e—Jillian Medoff, author of \u003ci\u003eThis Could Hurt \u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"\u003ci\u003eThe Ballad of Laurel Springs\u003c\/i\u003e sets the resonant violence of family secrets to the music of the mountains. With tenderness and grit, Janet Beard celebrates the harmonies of survival that run generations deep. Never has it felt more necessary—or more electric—for a story to be heard through song.\" \u003cb\u003e—Amy Jo Burns, author of \u003ci\u003eCinderland \u003c\/i\u003eand \u003ci\u003eShiner\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"[A]n intriguing multigenerational saga of a family steeped in the old-time songs and stories of southern Appalachia. ...tinged with regret and loss, informed by the timeless lyricism of the songs, and culminating with a poignant revelation about Grace’s immediate family. This inspired story of Appalachian folklore will move readers.\" \u003cb\u003e—\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“With a sense of traveling through time, readers will enjoy the murder mystery, combined with the descriptions of daily life in [a] little Appalachian town. Fans of \u003ci\u003eThe Giver of Stars\u003c\/i\u003e (2019), by Jojo Moyes, and historical fiction with strong female characters will want to give this book a try.”\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003e —Booklist\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Janet Beard’s powerful novel unfolds with the intricate weaving of generations of unforgettable women’s vivid voices. An illuminating glimpse into the eerie murder ballads of history, \u003ci\u003eThe Ballad of Laurel Springs\u003c\/i\u003e is compelling historical fiction at its best.” \u003cb\u003e--Patti Callahan, \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eSurviving Savannah\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eISBN:  9781982151560\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e ","brand":"Gallery Books","offers":[{"title":"Hardback","offer_id":40591126462670,"sku":"9781982151560","price":27.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0600\/7029\/7806\/products\/O_9c7af4d0-5cfb-485b-acc3-fa68d8b5b857.jpg?v=1637748465","url":"https:\/\/pickwickbookshop.com\/products\/9781982151560","provider":"Pickwick Bookshop","version":"1.0","type":"link"}