"The Riddle of the Rocks" by Charles Egbert Craddock is a compelling narrative set against the backdrop of the Great Smoky Mountains in the late 1800s, showcasing the struggles of mountaineer Roger Purdee, who becomes convinced that two unique sandstone blocks are the actual tablets of the Law from Moses. As Purdee wrestles with his own beliefs and the local rivalries, the story explores themes of faith, illusion, and the community's reaction to Purdee's convictions; and, as Purdee spends time contemplating the stones, he finds himself caught amid social and spiritual conflicts, particularly concerning the Grinnell family, causing tension to build within their community after his convictions attract different reactions from his neighbors, setting the scene for drama about human nature.
The riddle of the rocks 1895
By Charles Egbert Craddock
In the Smoky Mountains, a man's claim that two rocks are relics from Moses stirs passions, feuds, and spiritual questions within a divided community.
Summary
About the AuthorMary Noailles Murfree was an American author of novels and short stories who wrote under the pen name Charles Egbert Craddock. She is considered by many to be Appalachia's first significant female writer and her work a necessity for the study of Appalachian literature, although a number of characters in her work reinforce negative stereotypes about the region. She has been favorably compared to Bret Harte and Sarah Orne Jewett, creating post-Civil War American local-color literature.
Mary Noailles Murfree was an American author of novels and short stories who wrote under the pen name Charles Egbert Craddock. She is considered by many to be Appalachia's first significant female writer and her work a necessity for the study of Appalachian literature, although a number of characters in her work reinforce negative stereotypes about the region. She has been favorably compared to Bret Harte and Sarah Orne Jewett, creating post-Civil War American local-color literature.
More Like This
Explore books similar to the one you're viewing
The moonshiners at Hoho-hebee Falls 1895
By Charles Egbert Craddock
Down the Ravine
By Charles Egbert Craddock
The Great Stone Face, and Other Tales of the White Mountains
By Nathaniel Hawthorne
The Prophet of the Great Smoky Mountains
By Charles Egbert Craddock
The Roots of the Mountains Wherein Is Told Somewhat of the Lives of the Men of Burgdale, Their Friends, Their Neighbours, Their Foemen, and Their Fellows in Arms
By William Morris
The Mystery of Witch-Face Mountain, and Other Stories
By Charles Egbert Craddock
More by This Author
Discover other books written by the same author
'way down in Lonesome Cove 1895
By Charles Egbert Craddock
The raid of the guerilla 1911
By Charles Egbert Craddock
The Ordeal: A Mountain Romance of Tennessee
By Charles Egbert Craddock
His Unquiet Ghost 1911
By Charles Egbert Craddock
The Lost Guidon 1911
By Charles Egbert Craddock
The Storm Centre: A Novel
By Charles Egbert Craddock