Reviewed by
Kristin
Young and
headstrong, Zona Heaster lived in Greenbrier County, West Virginia, round about
1896. West Virginia was still a young
state, fresh from the Civil War, at least in the memories of its older
population. Zona may have been young as
well, but she was past twenty and ready to get married when the first
opportunity presented itself. When
charmer Edward Erasmus Shue, or “Trout,” came along, Zona jumped at the chance,
no matter what reservations her mama may have had.
A few months
later, Mrs. Zona Shue is dead from an apparent fall down the stairs.
Mary Jane
Heaster, Zona’s mother, never did trust that Trout. When Zona had found out that he had two
previous wives, it didn’t bother her none, but Mary Jane was afraid for her
girl. When Zona is brought back to her
hometown for burying, Trout acts the grieving husband and insists that no one
look closely at the body. Soon after the
funeral, Mary Jane has an unexpected visitor: Zona, telling her mother that her
death was not natural.
Decades later,
James P.D. Gardner recounts to his doctor what it was like to be an
African-American attorney assisting in the defense of Edward Shue accused of
murdering his young bride Zona. Mr.
Gardner is going through a tough time himself, remanded to the segregated insane
asylum after a suicide attempt, and his story is intertwined with that of the
Heasters and the Shues.
Sharyn McCrumb
paints a rich narrative in her usual way:
the characters are strong, the settings are vivid, and she draws this
novel from historical facts. Zona’s
story is well known in the West Virginia hollows and ridges as the tale of “The
Greenbrier Ghost.” Although long
believed to be folklore, McCrumb followed the documents back into time, finding
census records, death certificates, court records, maps and more to prove that
there was a real Zona who died under suspicious circumstances. McCrumb can always be counted upon to portray
her Appalachian characters realistically with authentic voices that may as well
have come straight from 1896.
McCrumb may be
best known for her Appalachian Ballad novels, but here she proves once again
that she has an unerring sense for a good story, and the ability to tell it in
a way that draws readers in, and keeps
them wishing for more.
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