This tragic novel traces the barbarization of the white settlers of the Appalachian frontier, culminating in the destruction of the Cherokee nation and the moral corruption of its conquerors. Southern Classics Series.

Caroline Gordon (1895-1981), a native of Kentucky, began her literary career in the 1920's after her marriage to poet Allen Tate. In 1929 her first story appeared. In 1931 her first novel, Penhally, was published. This was followed by three volumes of short fiction and eight more novels.