16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Storytelling at its best, June 3, 2002
By A Customer
"Frankie Silver" was the first McCrumb book I read and, like so many other reviewers, I was hooked. While I believe that all of her ballad books deserve five-star ratings, I can see how some people, especially younger readers, might not like them. I will not write a "book report." Instead I will offer ideas about why her stories do not appeal to certain readers:
1) Her exquisite storytelling ability is historically accurate. If the times are set in the early 1830's, she is not going to write in a contemporary style. She captures the dialogue of the era based on written documents of the time. Therefore, her dialogue sounds stilted or dry at times.
2) Ms. McCrumb is a baby boomer. One complaint was that the stories were about people in an older generation. Well, to that I suggest our young reader return to Harry Potter and wait for puberty to pass. McCrumb is a middle-aged adult who writes for adults.
3)When history is viewed as dry and boring, (I fault public school education for teaching history as a dry and boring subject) McCrumb's ballad books will also seem dry and boring. When history is viewed as the true tale of humanity, there is much to learn from her books. Or, to quote George Santayana: "Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it." We do not know where we are going if we do not know where we have been.
4) McCrumb's ballad series have overall themes, in other words, a big picture. For example, in the "Ballad of Frankie Silver" the theme is the inequality of justice for poor people. She even explains the theme in the Author Notes at the end of the book. If one has trouble with big pictures, or synthesizing information, he or she will be disappointed with McCrumb's ballad series.
And finally, 5) McCrumb's ballad series is written for thinkers. In the age of fast-paced computer technology, her ballad series books are slow by comparison. They reflect the pace of the times in which she writes.
The above reasons probably explain why a lot of people don't like her ballad series books, but they are exactly why I love them. I especially respect the fact that McCrumb writes for herself. She is true to her own voice and heritage and writes with honesty. She does not seem to have a need to write for false mass appeal to make a buck. She keeps her integrity as a writer and still manages to be on the Best Seller list. In other words, she hasn't sold out. I don't believe many popular authors can make the same claim.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Very Interesting Blend of Truth and Fiction, July 15, 2001
The Ballad of Frankie Silver is two stories, one true and one fiction, woven together through mystery and similarity. The one story is the story of Sheriff Spencer Arrowood and someone whom he arrested long ago who is due to be executed. While he is stuck at home recuperating from a bullet wound, he starts thinking about the trial of Frankie Silver and starts researching the case. He believes that there is some similarity between the Frankie Silver case and the case of the man about to be executed. The second story goes back in time to the true story of Frankie Silver. It's told mostly from the point of view of a clerk of the court at the time of the Silver trial. What I found the most interesting was the way that Sharyn McCrumb took a true story, added her own imagination in the role of the court clerk and wove it into a more modern setting. The legalities of both of the cases were interesting and seemed to be well researched. I thought the book was captivating.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Not her best but an excellent read, April 6, 2000
While I will admit that the Ballad of Frankie Silver is not on the level with her three stellar Appalachian-region novels, Hangman's Beautiful Daughter, She Walks These Hills, and the Rosewood Casket, I am at a loss with the numerous negative reviews this book has received.
Yes, the switching back and forth between three different time periods was problematic. Yes, the outcome was somewhat predictable, but lets not throw the proverbial bay out with the bathwater.
The characters in this book are three dimensional, the premise is gripping the the plot is suspensful.
I simply could not put the book down. And, in a way this book moves beyond the others in the ballad series in that this is an actual work of historic fiction. The principle charcters in the 19th century segement of the book were actually people. If you enjoyed the others books in the ballad series, you will enjoy this one. Indeed, I found the book a great way to spend a couple of evenings.
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