The sunny side of Appalachia

B. L. Dotson-Lewis. The sunny side of Appalachia: bluegrass from the grassroots. 8.5 x 11", 184 pages, large print, recycled paper, black & white photos. $15.95

Betty L. Dotson-Lewis was born in the coalfields of south-west Virginia and raised in the coalfields of West Virginia. In this original work she sets out to give the mountain people a voice through oral histories, photos, and narratives - uncut, verbatim, and in original dialect. She focuses here on the early struggles of bluegrass pioneers such as Bobby Osborne and Jesse McReynolds - the hungry years when they played at one-room schools and honky-tonks, or on top of concession stands at drive-in theatres, and contended with heartaches and uncooperative record companies.

The book is available online (and via Amazon) or from the author: B. L. Dotson-Lewis, 228 Madelia Place, Mooresville, NC 28115, USA; tel. +1-704-929-3118; e-mail.