Very interesting and scrupulously researched look into the Legend of Frankie Silver, a woman tried and found guilty of murdering, dismembering and burning her husband in 1831, and later hanged. This book delves into the folklore of Appalachia, as well as the society and judicial system of the early 19th century in the south. I found a few passages difficult to follow, but the telling of the tale itself was interesting (although now I am interested in hearing it, as the written word leaves out a lot of intonations of the language) and the historical references - various accounts of the crime, excerpts from letters and articles written - are all very interesting.

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