The Ballad of Tom Dooley is 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.

• We started tracking this book on July 6, 2011.
• This book was $11.99 when we started tracking it.
• The price of this book has changed 26 times in the past 5,313 days.
• The current price of this book is $2.99 last checked 8 hours ago.
• This book is at its lowest price in the past year.
• The lowest price to date was $1.99 last reached on December 1, 2022.
• This book has been $1.99 one time since we started tracking it.
• The highest price to date was $23.99 last reached on October 16, 2025.
• This book has been $23.99 one time since we started tracking it.

• Literature & FictionLiterary FictionHistorical
• Literature & FictionUnited StatesSouthern United States
• Literature & FictionHistorical FictionUnited States

• Publication Date: September 13, 2011
• Text-to-Speech: Disabled
• Lending: Disabled
• Print Length: 320 Pages
• File Size: 26 KB