My Old True Love

By: Sheila Kay Adams

Narrated by: Kate Forbes

The Stantons and the Nortons were families in the truest, oldest sense: extended networks of kin stretching across the mountains, everyone within hiking distance. They’d come from the British Isles and settled in the Appalachians of North Carolina during the 1700s, bringing with them their dearly loved songs and their clannish ways, their ties to the land ultimately becoming as strong as their ties to one another.

So when Larkin Stanton is left parentless at birth in the 1840s, he is taken in by his cousin Arty Norton and, true to the family way, starts singing before he starts talking. As Larkin grows up, he hungrily learns every song he can, as well as the subtleties of ballad singing: how the songs are about the joys and the horrors of life, and how the best singers can produce a song that will summon tears. Going head-to-head with Arty’s brother, Hackley, the cousins’ competitions to produce the finest song soon spill over into the wooing of the finest girl in the community, Mary.

When Hackley wins Mary and then leaves to fight in the Civil War, Larkin, still too young to enlist, finds himself uncontrollably drawn to the woman who’s held his heart for years. What he does about that love defies all he has learned about family and loyalty - and reminds us that these mournful ballads didn’t come just from the imagination, but from imperfections of the heart.

©2004 Sheila Kay Adams (P)2005 Recorded Books, LLC

Perfect dialect

Kate Forbes is a wonderful narrator and shocking singer which was a beautiful plus to the amazing Appalachian story

Kate Forbes makes this book WONDERFUL!

great story about a mountain family, told from a third generation mother....Kate Forbes narration makes this so real!

Love this book

I can say truthfully that i have read a lot of books and this is the best book I’ve ever read. The stories, characters, honesty, and feel for life make it touching and wonderful and real.

lovely

I felt like my grandma was reading this book to me. The narration flowed and the singing was pleasing. A great story told.

Very Good

Took me back to my grandma and mommies days, both born and lived in the Appalachia mountains of VA. A little too much singing for me but it didn’t take away from the story.