Customer Reviews

Walking Toward the Sunset: The Melungeons of Appalachia (Melungeons: History, Culture, Ethnicity, & Literature)

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I had heard stories all my life about the Melungeons. They were a mysterious people of unknown origin who had strange customs. There have been newspaper and magazine articles in the last few years, but they never seemed to get to the heart of the story and tell us who the Melungeons actually are. I was eager to read this new book, and I'm glad I did. It turns out most of what I "knew" about Melungeons was false. Winkler puts the Melungeon story in historical context, and also talks about the many similar mixed-race groups around the United States, groups that I'd never heard of. This is a fascinating story about a tiny group of people who have survived to celebrate their unique heritage.

I had heard of the Melungeons since I was a child, and thought I knew about them. "Walking Toward the Sunset" demonstrated that I really didn't know about them at all. The Melungeons are a mysterious people in Tennessee that are a mix of white, black, and Indian, and possibly Middle Eastern or Portuguese. I've heard stories and tall tales about the Melungeons all my life, but this book presents the facts -- not only about the Melungeons but about similar tri-racial groups across America that have faced discrimination and ostracism. This book is a real eye-opener about race and status in America, and how a tiny, unknown group has come to grips with their unique heritage.

I have heard stories and tall tales about the Melungeons since I was a child, and waited eagerly for Winkler's book. They were a mysterious people with strange customs who lived far up in the hills. It turns out most of what I "knew" about Melungeons was false. And there's much more to the story than I'd ever imagined. Winkler goes past the folklore and legends to get to the facts. He puts the story into historical context, and writes extensively about the similar groups all over America that I had never heard of. This is a fascinating story of race and status in America.

Of all the books about Melungeons, this is the one you want to own. In an unbiased manner, Winkler gives a complete overview of the history and legends of the Melungeons, reviews all the theories, and is as objective a writer as you would want to find. He has no ax to grind or theory to promote; he wants the reader to understand all the theories and make their own judgments. All he asks is that the readers keep an open mind about issues of "race" and mixed race in America.

I remember reading something by Emanuel Velikovsky wherein he gave credance to "family lore" and "tradition" as well as written records. It seemed to me to be the best way to study a culture. Wayne Winkler does this in his book about the Melungeons and I find it the most valid work on the broader study of Melungeons that I have read. Before written records existed, all anybody had was oral history, so to have any real insight into a culture you must pay attention to the oral history and tradition. Thank you Mr. Winkler

For my unacademic interest in this obscure group of Americans, the detail here was a bit smothering. But the author does raise some good points in his comments on racial attitudes. But he seems to contend that there is no such thing as race and then spends much of the book talking about race. Not a bad read for a long plane ride.

Well-researched, but the stilted writing style renders it almost unreadable. The subject is esoteric and obscure, and the writer does nothing to make it more relevant or enjoyable for readers who might be less than enthralled by the subject matter. I read this book from cover to cover (although portions of it were almost unbearably snooze-worthy), and I don't find the topic one shred more compelling than I did before reading it. This entire "Melungeon" series should be put to rest.

Good book about a very interesting group of people.

this is the true story behind the legends. I recommend it.