The ballad of frankie silver the new york times bestsellerset in the appalachian wilderness and blending legends and folklore with high suspense, this stellar novel, the ballad of frankie silver, is considered one of mccrumbs crowning achievements. Sharyn mccrumb in the ballad of frankie silver weaves an intricate tale of three murder cases. All wcpl locations are closed through april 30, 2020. Complete summary of sharyn elaine arwoods the ballad of frankie silver. Charlie silvers dismembered body lies in three graves in a mountain graveyard, and his young wife was charged with the crime. The ballad of frankie silver, its stated that a large crowd was present to hear her. This film has a different theory of what actually happened.
The general theme behind this book is miscarriages of justice people accused and put to death for a crime they didnt commit but wouldnt confess who did. During this time you will not be able to place new holds on physical materials. In 1831 frankie silver was charged with the brutal. Special edition dvd was written, directed, and produced by theresa e. The ballad of frankie silver audiobook by sharyn mccrumb. This is frankies story a docudrama based on the true story of the most notorious murder trial in antebellum north carolina. The ballad of frankie silver audiobook listen instantly. May 01, 1998 the ballad of frankie silver is the only sharyn mccrumb novel ive read. Through the frankie silver material it explores the interplay between folklore, social and personal history, law, and narrative conventions as people try to understand human character and fate. The debut book of the ballad series written by author sharyn mccrumb is entitled if i ever return pretty peggy o.
Sharyn mccrumb a century after a woman was hanged for killing her husband, a tennessee sheriff reopens her case. The ballad of frankie silver sharyn mccrumb macmillan. In 1833 frankie silver became the first woman in north carolina to be hanged for murder. I just could not get into the book, as much as i would have liked to. The ballad of frankie silver is based on the true story of frankie silver, an 18yearold mountain girl hanged for murder in morganton, north carolina, in 1833. Frances silver was hanged in morganton, north carolina, for the ax murder of her husband charles. Frankie silver, only woman ever hanged in burke county, morganton, july 2, 1833. The ballad of frankie silver book hillsborough county. The ballad of frankie silver the ballad of frankie silver audiobook, by sharyn mccrumb. The ballad of frankie silver fulldescription spencer arrowood was a young, untried deputy sheriff when his testimony helped convict a tennessee youth for the brutal slaying of. I read the paperback version of the ballad of frankie silver about five years ago and ive kept it on my shelf ever since, knowing ill reread it at least a couple more times over. There are many words that could be used to describe the charlie and frankie silver story.
In 1833, frankie silver became the first woman in the state of north carolina to be hanged for murder. Over a century ago, it is said that a man was murdered in his sleep, that a young wife and mother was accused of the crime, and that on the gallows her last words were silenced by her fathers order. In 1831 frankie silver was charged with the murder and burning of the remains of her husband charlie. The ballad of frankie silver quilt, made by jane hicks twenty years ago, spencer arrowood, then a deputy, had apprehended a fugitive and testified at the trial that sentenced him to death. A summons to a longdelayed executionfate harkryder, the condemned man he arrested 20 years ago, has reached the end of his appealssends tennessee sheriff spencer arrowood back in time over 150 years to the case of frankie silver, the teenaged bride and mother who was hanged in north carolina in 1832 for killing her husband with an ax, dismembering his body, and burning it in front of.
And considering the theme, it makes sense that theres only two examplesstory threads instead of the. In 1833 frankie silver was an eighteenyearold girl convicted of murder in burke county. In 1833 frankie silver was an eighteenyearold girl convicted of murder in burke county, north carolina. Editions of the ballad of frankie silver by sharyn mccrumb. The novel, a new york times bestseller, tells the moving story of. In the 5th of mccrumbs ballad series, she takes us back to the 19th century, for the trial of frankie silver, an 18yearold north carolina mountain girl accused of killing her husband and then trying to cover up the crime by butchering, burning and burying him in pieces. One of the most famous female murders in us history. Discover delightful childrens books with prime book box, a subscription that.
The ballad of frankie silver publishers summary one hundred years after a woman is hanged, the search for justice reveals a story of simple faith, obsession, and murder. With joe bennett, todd blair, casiah butner, brandon clark. In 1832, an 18yearold frankie silver was charged with murdering her young husband. I read the paperback version of the ballad of frankie silver about five years ago and ive kept it on my shelf ever since, knowing ill reread it at least a couple more times over the next few years. The new york times bestsellerset in the appalachian wilderness and blending legends and folklore with high suspense, this stellar novel, the ballad of frankie silver, is considered one of mccrumbs crowning achievements. Sharyn mccrumb began her ballad series in 1990 with the novel if ever i return, pretty peggyo. The ballad of frankie silver book by sharyn mccrumb. The ballad of frankie silver is the only sharyn mccrumb novel ive read. This is frankie s story a docudrama based on the true story of the most notorious murder trial in antebellum north carolina. The ballad of frankie silver wake county public libraries. Sharyn mccrumb sheriff spencer arrowood receives an invitation to an execution for fate harkryder, a young man he helped convict twenty years earlier for the murder of two hikers, but the parallels between the. In 1833 frankie silver was an eighteenyearold girl convicted of murder in. The ballad of frankie silver was published in a new edition by st. The case of frankie silver served as the basis of sharyn mccrumbs 1999 novel, the ballad of frankie silver.
While i believe that all of her ballad books deserve fivestar ratings, i can see how some people, especially younger readers, might not like them. The ballad of frankie silver was supposedly penned in 1833 by a young woman awaiting execution for her husbands murder. It was released by the fawcett publication in the year 1991. The frankie silver story in contemporary north carolina. The ballad of frankie silver has many issues pertaining to the social case of the periods in which the book was written. If you have holds on the shelf, they will be held until we reopen. The ballad of frankie silver flawlessly weaves past and present, truth and fiction, folklore and legend in a spellbinding story that sweeps from the drawing rooms of early aristocracy to the ruins of a oneroom cabin deep in the appalachian om a 19thcentury courtroom and the infamous hanging oak of cold, bare room where a final. The ballad of frankie silver invites us to pull up a quilt and turn our faces to the firedense and lovely. The ballad of frankie silver by mccrumb, sharyn, 1948publication date 1998 topics. The ballad of frankie silver is another great old north carolina folk song that tells the story of an actual murder.
The quintessential writer of the appalachian region weaves folklore and legend into a lyrical new novel of obsession and suspensein 1832, an 18yearold girl was charged with murdering her young husband. A career lawman will bear witness to the final judgem. Set in the appalachian wilderness and blending legends and folklore with high suspense, this stellar novel, the ballad of frankie silver, is considered one of mccrumbs crowning achievements. The ballad of frankie silver is a novel, which i found was an ok read, but hard to keep up with the author switching back and forth between a modern day murder in tennessee, and the trial and execution of frankie silver in 1833. More than one hundred years later, tennessee sheriff spencer arrowood is. The happy valley pals at merritts grill in chapel hill, nc on july 7, 2012. Delaware county district library ohio scanned in china. In it, mccrumbs series character spencer arrowood takes a fresh look at the frankie silver case and at a fictional modern murder with many parallels. Through a detailed investigation, the local sheriff, and soon all the. Awardwinning, new york times bestselling novelist sharyn mccrumb crafts absorbing, lyrical tales featuring the rich culture and lore of appalachia. The insistent note mccrumb sounds in the ballad of frankie silver is the story of a young woman who killed. Below is a list of sharyn mccrumbs ballad novels in order of when they were originally released which is the same as their chronological order. The insistent note mccrumb sounds in the ballad of frankie silver is the story of a young woman who killed her husband, and the justice that awaited her in the. The first, the historical case of frankie silver, a waiflike eighteen yearold accused, convicted.
Online shopping from a great selection at books store. In the compelling the ballad of frankie silver, she deftly weaves past and present with legend and truth to create a suspenseful portrait of tragic. Theres a bit less going on in this book than there is in most of the ballad series. Apr 11, 2016 the ballad of frankie silver was supposedly penned in 1833 by a young woman awaiting execution for her husbands murder.
A well known legend in north carolina and one of the most famous female murders in early u. Several years ago the folklife program of the north carolina arts council gave a small grant to filmmaker tom davenport to document storyteller and ballad singer bobby mcmillon. The 2000 film the ballad of frankie silver and its rerelease in 2010 as the ballad of frankie silver. Jul 01, 2001 charles silver oct 3 1812dec 22 1831, it reads. And, like omie wise and tom dooley the story it tells is mostly fiction. Mar 26, 20 the ballad of frankie silver is a novel, which i found was an ok read, but hard to keep up with the author switching back and forth between a modern day murder in tennessee, and the trial and execution of frankie silver in 1833. The story behind the ballad of frankie silver mental floss.
The ballad of frankie silver audiobook, by sharyn mccrumb. New york times bestselling novel the true story of frankie silver, a young frontier wife, hanged for murder in western north carolina in 1833. Her real name was frances steward silver, but they all called her frankie. This literate and provocative novelis mccrumbs best book yet. Read the ballad of frankie silver 1999 online free. Now a letter from riverbend, the new maximum security penitentiary in nashville says that sheriff arrowood is required to be a states witness to the execution. Reading a novel by sharyn mccrumb is like listening to the movements of a symphony. May 17 the first woman hanged for murder in north carolina was, by all accounts, a slight person, standing only about 5 feet tall and weighing no more than 100 pounds. Aug 12, 2012 the happy valley pals at merritts grill in chapel hill, nc on july 7, 2012.
According to some accounts, silver sang the song as her final. The story line follows the murders of three individuals. Sharyn mccrumb is best known for her appalachian ballad novels, including the new york times best sellers the ballad of tom dooley, the ballad of frankie silver, and ghost riders, which won the wilma dykeman award for literature from the east tennessee historical society and the national audie award for best recorded book. The ballad of frankie silver by sharyn mccrumb kirkus. May 17 the first woman hanged for murder in north carolina was, by all accounts, a slight person, standing only about 5 feet tall and weighing no more than 100 pounds convicted of killing her young husband with an ax, dismembering his body and burning. Spencer arrowood always thought she was innocent, but now that he has been summoned to witness an. Bobby mcmillon and stories of frankie silver, won the 2001 chicago folklore prize. The ballad of frankie silver nashville public library. Even seven members of frankies jury signed a petition asking governor swain to issue a pardon.
997 181 901 395 335 991 1106 664 779 1488 782 809 489 1143 1429 1244 440 586 1420 241 776 8 161 1265 669 163 1318 611 163 1264