Catch the ‘Cataloochee’ buzz

There’s big buzz building for Ashvegas resident Wayne Caldwell’s new book, Cataloochee, his first novel. There are lots of references to Charles Frazier because of the subject matter of the two books. But the writing is the thing. We’ve ordered the book and will give it our own review.

Want to meet the author? On Saturday, June 23 at 7 p.m., Malaprop’s will host Caldwell. Meantime, here’s what people are saying:

Amazon link to ‘Cataloochee’

Booklist

Set in the reclusive mountains of North Carolina, Caldwell’s rootsy first novel follows the small triumphs and tragedies of three families from the Civil War to 1928, when the area was absorbed into the new Smoky Mountains National Park. Keeping track of four generations of Carters, Banks, and Wrights, with their bountiful legions of offspring, would be a chore if not for Caldwell’s deft touch, indelibly detailing characters even if their particular branch of the family tree only rustles free to offer a momentary glimpse into the loves, lives, and deaths of these hardscrabble folk.

RandomHouse

A brilliant portrait of a community and a way of life long gone, a lost America.
–Charles Frazier

Somebody else, who we’ve forgotten

Against the breathtaking backdrop of Appalachia comes a rich, multilayered post—Civil War saga of three generations of families–their dreams, their downfalls, and their faith. Cataloochee is a slice of southern Americana told in the classic tradition of Flannery O’Connor and William Faulkner.

Wayne Caldwell brings to life the community’s historic struggles and close kinships over a span of six decades. Full of humor, darkness, beauty, and wisdom, Cataloochee is a classic novel of place and family.