Washed in the Blood - Hardcover

          "WASHED IN THE BLOOD is an intelligent and insightful novel that traces the history of the often troubled peoples of Appalachia with sensitivity but without sentimentality. Her story and the characters that inhabit it came alive for me from the first page.  Alther is an important voice in the fiction of Appalachia, and her keen insights into the culture and history of the people of Appalachia are a welcome addition to the literature of the region and beyond." -- Kimberley M. Holloway, Author of From a Race of Storytellers: The Ballad Novels of Sharyn McCrumb          "A feat of historical imagination, WASHED IN THE BLOOD  explores the fascinating racial heritage of Appalachia with profound humanity. Alther's unforgettable characters live and breathe and persevere, embracing a world that would deny their existence.  Read this book for an intimate family saga and a stirring American epic." -- Daniel J. Sharfstein, Author of The Invisible Line: Three American Families and the Secret Journey from Black to White          "WASHED IN THE BLOOD will draw you in. The times when life was precarious for people of mixed ancestry are touchable through the characters and the stories. You share their struggles, and their fears make your gut twist. A great read! WASHED IN THE BLOOD is Alther's best Appalachia novel--rich, measured, insightful, poignant."  -- Katherine Vande Brake, Author of How They Shine:  Melungeon Characters in the Fiction of Appalachia             "Lisa Alther has applied her storytelling prowess to the mysteries and legends surrounding the European settlement of America and the "mysterious" populations of the southeastern United States. Meticulous research, combined with Alther's insight, make WASHED IN THE BLOOD a work of fiction based on an historically plausible set of circumstances. Her sense of character brings to life the legends that have been a vital part of many Southern families' histories." -- Wayne Winkler, Author of Walking Toward the Sunset: The Melungeons of Appalachia

          Based on extensive research into the racial mixing that occurred in the early years of southeastern settlement, this provocative multi-generational story shows that these people did not simply vanish, but that many were absorbed into the new communities that gradually formed throughout the southeast, becoming "white" whenever their complexions allowed. The inability to accept their true heritages illustrates the high price many of these people paid for their way of life.           Diego Martin arrives in 1567 in the American Southeast--the region the Spaniards call La Florida--as a hog drover with a Spanish exploring party. The leader of the expedition turns against him and abandons him to the wilderness, where friendly natives rescue him. Daniel Hunter, a Quaker from Philadelphia, sets up a school among these "disadvantaged" mountain people and falls in love with a Martin daughter. Later, Daniel's descendants are living in the same town, though with little awareness of their ancestral past. The Martin family has split in two, the merchants in town denying any relationship to their racially mixed cousins on Mulatto Bald. A young woman from town, Galicia, falls in love with a young man from the bald, Will, not realizing that he is her cousin. They marry, have a daughter, and move to a new industrial center, becoming prominent citizens. When Will's son from a teenage liaison appears at his door, he invites him in, unwittingly setting the stage for a forbidden love between his unacknowledged son and his cherished daughter, neither of whom realizes that they are half-siblings.