This book may be purchased as part of the Notgrass Exploring America Literature Collection.
Dr. Sloop and her husband began their lifelong dedication to the mountain people when they rode horseback into the remote hill region of North Carolina in 1909. The conditions they encountered were shockingly primitive. The people had neither doctors nor schools and were suspicious of both medicine and "larnin'." Electricity and running water were unheard of, roads were rough mountain paths and the diet consisted of "hog meat, greens, and grease." The main industry was moonshining.
Dr. Sloop declared a personal war on moonshiners, tracking down hidden stills with a reluctant sheriff in tow. She fought against child marriages in a region where girls often married at the age of fourteen. With the help of the mountain people, she reinvigorated the weaving trade, built a church and a modern, well-equipped hospital. Her spirited support of education resulted in a modern twenty-five building school.
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