by John Bailey
First published 1966
John Bailey runs his hands along a piece of cherry wood, measuring twice before making the first cut. In his small workshop tucked into the Virginia mountains, he shapes each dulcimer by hand, following techniques his grandfather taught him decades ago. But when a music company from Nashville arrives offering to buy his designs and mass-produce his instruments, John faces a choice that will determine his future. His wife Sarah wants him to take the money and move to town where their children can have better opportunities. His neighbor Tom warns that selling out will destroy everything authentic about mountain music. John must decide whether preserving tradition matters more than providing for his family, and whether the soul of Appalachian music can survive in a changing world.
Genres: family-life, american-fiction, historical-fiction, business, biography-memoir, music
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, family-business, found-family
Setting: Appalachia, Nashville, Virginia
Period: 20th-century
52 pages · Paperback · Cecil Sharp House