Customer Reviews

North from the Mountains: A Folk History of the Carmel Melungeon Settlement, Highland County, Ohio (Melungeons (Series), 2.)

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"North from the Mountains" is a splendid read on the incresingly popular subject of Melungeon heritage. This is both an excellently written and exhaustively researched book by meticulous authors. It is a great read on Americana on the first person part of the senior author. Both men are experienced authors of scholarly papers, and their work on this book is the result of their exacting and uncomromising dedication to making as certain as possible that every last word in this book is documentable. I consider it the standard against which I will judge all other books on the subject. The Bibilography will set me off on searches for further material. It is a truly worthy book to add to any library, both personal and collegiate.

North From The Mountains is the latest in "The Melungeons: History Culture, Ethnicity, and Literature" series from Mercer University Press. This groundbreaking series is the first such to extensively study the Carmel Melungeon settlement since 1950. John Kessler and Donald Ball effectively collaborate to trace the history of the Carmel Melungeon settlement from 1700 onward, and provide the reader with exhaustive firsthand information connecting the Carmel population to the Melungeons and other mixed-blood populations in the Mid-Atlantic region. With documentary evidence and facts gathered from visits to and informants of the Carmel area, North From The Mountains is a highly detailed documentary offering fascinating insight into the lifestyle and relationships of the Carmel community and recommended for students of American history and regional development.

This book is a must if you have any history/ancestry at all with "Carmel Melungeons". I found MANY of family members in this book. I was floored. The author, is an amazing writer. He sure gives a good sense of what came WAY before me!!!

This book tells a lot about the migration of the Perkins, Gibson, and Cole families to the Ohio Valley. It was great to be able to see my family
names in print and to learn a little more about where I came from.