Payne Erskine. A Girl of the Blue Ridge. Boston: Little, Brown, and Co., 1915.

Lurry Bab’s future is bleak, almost Dickensian. When Lurry’s mother dies from her husband’s violence and neglect, Lurry takes her infant brother and runs away from home. Daniel McEwen, an old hermit who rescues Lurry, had a history with Lurry’s late mother. There are many connections among the mountaineers–those on the side of the law and those who make moonshine–and these connections come out during the course of the novel. Lurry is torn between what is left of her family–violent and drunken though they are–and a better life at a settlement school. Dave Turpin, a sometime assistant to the moonshiners, also moves back and forth between the moonshiners and the villagers. Lurry and Dave are attracted to each other, but when Dave is accused of murdering Lurry’s father, a happy life together looks unlikely.

Check this title’s availability and access an online copy through the UNC-Chapel Hill Library catalog.

1 Comment

Filed under 1910-1919, 1915, Coast, Erskine, Payne, Mountains, Novels to Read Online

One Response to Payne Erskine. A Girl of the Blue Ridge. Boston: Little, Brown, and Co., 1915.

  1. Paul Rothwell-Smith

    Hi, i’m the author of 3 books about early film performers, my last book ‘Silent Films! The Performers, which as 3712 silent film performers, all with their photo’s, info and film listing, it’s gone down really well in Britain, certaintly the Universities, including Oxford and Cambridge, if you are interested in a copy please get in touch, one other reason for getting in touch with, i have heard that you maybe able to get hold of a Vedah Bertram film for me, which would be very inportant to me in my research, hope to hear from you soon, Paul Rothwell-Smith