The characters in the book, much like those from the real Appalachia, were stubborn but loyal, hardworking people who survived and even thrived in the harsh environments of the Appalachians. The cast of the TV show The Scotch-Irish lilt still existed in their language, food, and medicines. One hundred years of advancement in medicine, literature, and technology had bypassed the mountains. In 1912 the area around the fictional Cutters Gap in the book was untouched by time and existed as it did when its fictional inhabitants had arrived there, likely one hundred years before. It was post-Revolutionary War and some who served earned land grants, while others were just attracted to the mountains. Long rifle hunters and trappers roamed the Appalachians early in our history, but family settlers came to the mountainous areas in Tennessee and North Carolina toward the beginning of the 1800s. They created their own culture through songs, folklore, language, cooking, and building. Many made their way to the Southern Appalachians. It is estimated that approximately 250,000 Scotch-Irish folks lived in the colonies during that time.
Before the Revolutionary War, more Scotch Irish immigrated to the Americas than from any other region. Unknown to me until I read Christy, the poetry I had heard my grandmother recite and sing was Irish, as were things like “Arsh (Irish/white) potatoes.” Click here for the story of the blue people of Appalachia. My mountain foothills ancestors loved the hills they were familiar to them from another continent and another time. I had no idea everything from the songs to the colloquial terms and superstitions I had heard all my life came from Scotland and Ireland. I learned the origins of many of the phrases and behaviors I grew up with. In the book, the main character, Christy, encountered many sayings, stories, and people I was familiar with. Click here to sign up for our free newsletter and get new content not published on our site. It was my first introduction to the Scotch-Irish link to the people of the Southern Appalachians and my DNA. The book’s name and the heroine’s were spelled like mine, and I was curious about its content. In 1970 I checked the book out from my high school library and read it simply because of the title.
It is based on her mother’s experiences as a young teacher in the rural Appalachian Mountains.
In 1967 Catherine Marshall published the much-loved book Christy.
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