The Granny Curse: And Other Ghosts and Legends from East Tenessee - Paperback

by Randy Russell (Author), Janet Barnett (Author)

Witches who fly down chimneys. A chair that won't release its occupant until a drop of blood stains the floor. A mountain that grew--and continues to grow--from the grave of a woman who was larger than life. The ghost of a woman who jumps on the bumpers of cars driving past the graveyard where she is buried. An apple tree that growls at people who pick its fruit. A woman who rose from her grave each night to get food for a baby born to her after she was buried. A peach tree that grows on the head of a deer. These and other legends and ghost stories handed down for generations are contained in this collection of 25 tales from East Tennessee.

For several years, folklorists Randy Russell and Janet Barnett have taught a course about Southern folklore at the North Carolina Center for Advancement of Teaching in Cullowhee, North Carolina. Russell is also the author of several mysteries, including Edgar Award nominee Hot Wire.They live in Asheville, North Carolina.

Back Jacket

Witches who fly down chimneys. A chair that won't release its occupant until a drop of blood stains the floor. A mountain that grew -- and continues to grow -- from the grave of a woman who was larger than life. The ghost of a woman who jumps on the bumpers of cars driving past the graveyard where she is buried. An apple tree that growls at people who pick its fruit. A woman who rose from her grave each night to get food for a baby born to her after she was buried. A peach tree that grows on the head of a deer. These and other legends and ghost stories handed down for generations are contained in this collection of twenty-five tales from East Tennessee.

The locales for these stories range from Roan Mountain to Chattanooga; from Cades Cove to Hancock County, where the Melungeons live; from the Sequatchie Valley to the Cumberland Plateau. The stories themselves are enhanced by Appalachian folk wisdom and tidbits about mountain traditions.

Whether your family has lived in this region since early settlement or whether you're here on a vacation, you will find that these tales about supernatural happenings will stay with you for a long time to come.

Author Biography

For several years, folklorists Randy Russell and Janet Barnett have taught a course about Southern folklore at the North Carolina Center for Advancement of Teaching in Cullowhee, North Carolina. Russell is also the author of several mysteries, including Edgar Award nominee Hot Wire.They live in Asheville, North Carolina.