Clinch Mountain Echoes

Clinch Mountain Echoes is a gripping tale of betrayal, prejudice, budding young love, wartime memories, abductions, and murder in a small Appalachian community. From years past, echoes of wrenching losses—lost innocence, loves, and lives—reverberate anew in Southwest Virginia. Residents of Powell County endure ills and heartaches that human flesh and spirit are heir to, but some face daunting circumstances born of trying, troubling repercussions from their past. Can a deceived and deserted young woman, a persecuted Melungeon family, and a grieving boy overcome soul-wrenching heartache and sadness? A unique bond forms between the mourning boy and a reclusive war veteran who suffers from his own losses and wartime memories. Will that bond help comfort each of them, lessen their sorrow and anger, and dispel haunting memories? Can effects of physical and emotional threats be lessened by friendship, acceptance, and forgiveness? Must the wronged seek their just revenge, or will a final echo surface with fitting retribution for a lecherous Clinch Mountain murderer?

"Clinch Mountain Echoes" is a gripping tale of betrayal, prejudice, budding young love, wartime memories, abductions, and murder in a small Appalachian community. From years past, echoes of wrenching losses—lost innocence, loves, and lives—reverberate anew in Southwest Virginia. Residents of Powell County endure ills and heartaches that human flesh and spirit are heir to, but some face daunting circumstances born of trying, troubling repercussions from their past. After a shattering loss, a deceived and deserted young woman struggles to fill a void in her life as she searches for love and personal fulfillment. As years pass, she wonders about the man most responsible for her sadness. Will an attractive, refined but determined, lady—no longer a timid fearful young woman—find solace in confronting the man who betrayed her in their youth? Strong feelings develop between a pre-teen boy and a pretty, talented girl. A shocking act of depravity causes the boy deep feelings of personal loss; he vows to never give up trying to find the criminal. Can this young woman, a grieving boy, and a persecuted Melungeon family overcome soul-wrenching heartache and sadness? A unique, caring bond forms between the mourning boy and a reclusive war veteran who has tried unsuccessfully to bury and forget his own dark, tormenting memories of lost loved ones and of wartime traumas. Will that bond help comfort each of them, lessen their sorrow and anger, dispel haunting memories, and move beyond their sadness and despair? Do the war veteran and a well-to-do widow have anything in common and any possible future relationship other than as handyman and employer? Can bigots change their stripes of prejudice and hate into badges of tolerance and good will? Can effects of physical and emotional threats be lessened by friendship, acceptance, and forgiveness? Must the wronged seek their own just revenge, or will a final echo surface with fitting retribution for a lecherous Clinch Mountain murderer?

Alfred Patrick grew up in the Appalachian Mountains of Southwest Virginia, the setting for "Clinch Mountain Echoes" and for an earlier novel, "Clinch River Justice." His first four years in elementary school were in a rural one-room school where one teacher taught grades 1 through 7. His father worked as a coal miner, lumberman, and carpenter; but most of the time he was a farmer, the occupation he loved in spite of its demanding work schedule and unpredictable profitability. His mother worked as a homemaker, gardener, and farm field hand as well as stints as store clerk, cannery worker, and for many years as an Avon lady. The lifestyle portrayed in "Clinch Mountain Echoes" is what Alfred, his family, friends, and neighbors lived. Following graduation at Honaker High School and two years at Bluefield College, the author earned bachelor and master’s degrees at Virginia Tech and a doctorate at the University of Tennessee. He taught at Virginia High School in Bristol, at Longwood College in Farmville, Virginia, and at Northeast Louisiana State University in Monroe. Over a 33-year span, Alfred served as professor, department chair, MBA program director, and dean in the College of Business at Eastern Kentucky University in Richmond, Kentucky; he retired in 1998. He enjoys writing, reading, traveling, gardening, crossword puzzles, and backpacking and has completed the Appalachian Trail, the John Muir Trail in California, and trails in other states. He and his wife, Peggy, live in Richmond, Kentucky.