Singing Family of the Cumberlands

ISBN: 0-8131-0186-7

Singing Family of the Cumberlands is a biography by Jean Ritchie written about her life and growing up in the Appalachians. “The remarkably gentle nature of the book seems even more remarkable when one considers its locale – the stern, rugged Cumberland Mountains, a stratified rock escarpment in the Appalachian range. Seen through the gracious prose of Jean Ritchie, however, the cruel, forbidding mountains become kindly shields against the bustling outside world.” – Saturday Review of Literature

“Birth, death, marrying, first love, going to the settlement schools – the full round of living is here. Jean writes with such tenderness at times that one murmurs an apology for intruding on the family circle.” - Chicago Tribune

Jean Ritchie, the youngest of 14 children born and raised in Viper, Kentucky, is considered one of the greatest balladeers in this century. Her performances have influenced the resurgence of interest in folk music and given audiences a glimpse into the heart of Appalachia.