Rode

When Thomas Fox Averill first heard Jimmy Driftwood's ballad Tennessee Stud, he found the song hauntingly compelling. As he began to imagine the story behind the lyrics, he set out to research the song's history-a tale from along about eighteen and twenty-five of the legendary exploits of the greatest horse that ever lived, the Tennessee Stud, and his owner.

Traveling the same route the song chronicles, from Tennessee into Arkansas, through Texas and into Mexico, Averill visited racetracks, Spanish missions, historical museums, a living history farm, and national parks, inventing characters of his own along the way. His novel captures the spirit of the ballad while telling the story of Robert Johnson, a man who holds love in his heart though adventure rules his time. Pursued by a bounty hunter, Indians, and his conscience, Johnson and his horse are tested, strengthened, and made resolute.

Author: Thomas Fox Averill
Publisher: University of New Mexico Press
Published: 02/15/2012
Pages: 216
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.70lbs
Size: 8.90h x 6.00w x 0.60d
ISBN: 9780826350305

About the Author
Averill, Thomas Fox: -

Thomas Fox Averill, a graduate of the University of Iowa Writers' Workshop, is professor of English and writer-in-residence at Washburn University in Topeka, Kansas.