John W. Ridley
A son of the Appalachians and born of humble means, the author early in life voraciously absorbed the customs, folklore, and memories of characters of the region. Ambition prohibited his succumbing to the lifestyle prevalent in the region, regardless of the people and beauty of the land. Fortified with ambition but few resources, the author left the familiarity of the only home he had known following high school. Naive and ill-equipped, he was left to face a world fraught with challenges.
Few...
