Appalachian novelist and New York Times bestselling author, Sharyn McCrum spoke to a packed house at the Roanoke County Public Library on the evening of March 3, 2005.

Ms. McCrumb entertained an audience that consisted of Sharyn McCrumb readers, NASCAR fans, and some who are both. She then chatted with fans while autographing her books.

Learn more about Sharyn by visiting her website at www.sharynmccrumb.com. To read more about the book, go to www.stdale.com.

March 3, 2005

     Sharyn McCrumb, a graduate of UNC Chapel Hill with an MA from Virginia Tech, has lectured at Oxford University, the Smithsonian Institution, the University of Bonn, Germany, and at universities and libraries throughout the country.

     McCrumb lives and writes in the Virginia Blue Ridge. She is best known for her Appalachian "Ballad" novels including She Walks These Hills, The Rosewood Casket, and The Songcatcher.

     St. Dale is the story of a group of ordinary people who go on a pilgrimage in honor of racing legend Dale Earnhardt, and find a miracle. The story examines grassroots canonization, setting the Canterbury Tales within the culture of NASCAR.