Appalachia Mountain Folklore

The book is ok but it’s not really folklore from the old days unless ur really young and think the 80s are those old days lol…but what my issue is with this book is how they figure that cabarrus county is part of Appalachia…. I’ve lived here in nc (gaston county area) my entire life and never have I heard of someone even considering it being part of western nc so as an Appalachian folk practitioner (aka granny magic/ conjure) I’m confused as to how that part ended up in this book when Cleveland county isn’t even in Appalachia and made it in this book as well and cabarrus is farther away than Cleveland 😒🤨 but if you need something to read to pass the time away I guess it’s an ok book…otherwise there are better reads that are actually from the Appalachian area

It was very nice to read this being a Virginia mountain native, obviously many traditions and stories echo through all of Appalachia with most of these stories involving beautiful North Carolina. I distinctly remember stories like these handed down to me as a child, and now I have a book on hand to enjoy the lore any time. A must read for mountain folks. Watch out for "The snow witch" this winter!

so gripping and exalting- a look at an absconded quiet place of America

"Appalachia Mountain Folklore" fails at its job for two reasons. One, it is not folklore. Two, it is badly written. This is a ghost-hunter's book. If you are looking for dubious accounts of recent paranormal activity, this is the work for you. If, on the other hand, you want an account of the rich culture, folk stories, and legends of the Appalachian community, this is not your book. Badly documented ghost "sightings" from the mid 1980s do not qualify as Folklore. A few tales--most of them from the Indians--are genuine legends. These are the best parts of the book."Appalachia Mountain Folklore" is poorly written. Rivers' paragraphs are a casual jumble of loosely lumped thoughts. Adjectives like "very" and "really" occur with astonishing frequency. Paragraphs conclude with sentences that have nothing to do with paragraph in which they are placed. Descriptions are either overlong, or too weak to deserve reading. This book reads like a college paper on Mountain Paranormal Superstitions-- written and printed off an hour before it was due.

Excellent Book

Great book

Please do not purchase this book for the purpose of reading about Appalachian Mountain folklore. It is a collection of ghost stories. It is poorly written, poorly edited, poorly researched, and poorly organized. The author divides the stories by county, which are often incorrect, and when he didn't have a real story about a particular county, he would make something up to include, like just a list of superstitions not related to that specific county. A better example of folklore would be Jack Tales or stories from the EBCI.

I was gifted a copy of Appalachia Mountain Folklore in exchange for an honest review.I'm no stranger to the great fiction stories this author weaves, having read all his books, however this is my first time reading him as a non-fiction author. It's not easy when an author is use to writing one type of genre to switch to another without the writing being a little weak but I am happy to say this is not the case with Appalachia Mountain Folklore. You can read and feel the research that went into the stories. The pictures of the scenes, though not needed to visualize, aid in lending even more impact. The folklore is very real and not imagined and each story captivated me. Micheal Rivers brings it in setting the background with each tale beginning with a history of the county or region and what led up to create the disturbance in these souls spirits. Ghosts and the supernatural, the folklore and actual sightings originate from love to revenge. I highly recommend the book to all readers who enjoy history, folklore and ghost stories. Don't be surprised when you lay the book down at the end you are left with compassion for the departed, a curiosity to visit each haunting, and a fear to stay as far away from there as you can.