Set in the Appalachian Mountains this is the sixth novel in McCrumb's Ballad series. Folk singer Lark McCourry is haunted by the memory of an old song and when she is called back to see her dying father at his home in the mountains she hopes to find someone who can remember the ballad. Perhaps her father's old friend Nora Bonesteel, a wise woman who talks to both the living and the dead.
Back in 1751 Lark's ancestor, ten year old Malcolm McCourry, was kidnapped from Islay, a Scottish island, and began a life as a sailor. On board the ship Malcolm learnt the song and brought it with him when he settled in America. The song accompanies Malcolm and later his descendants through the American Revolution, life as pioneers, the settling of the frontier, Civil War, the coming of the railroads and up to the present day. And within the words of the song another mystery lies, and a story of murder undetected. And as Lark travels home, deputy sheriff Joe LeDonne chooses to spend his birthday completing the Appalachian Trail, seeking solitude in the wilderness, grappling with the black mood that engulfs him.
With its broad historical sweep and its wide range of characters The Song Catcher paints a riveting picture of the Appalachian community and brings to life episodes of American history through the personal accounts of her protagonists. McCrumb is an accomplished storyteller and she skilfully draws together the different narratives so that the intrigue builds to a satisfying conclusion.
Manchester Evening News 18.01.02