"The land of the sky" : or, Adventures in mountain by-ways by Christian Reid
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"The Land of the Sky; or, Adventures in Mountain By-Ways" by Christian Reid is a travel narrative written in the late 19th century. It follows a lively party—an observant female narrator, her spirited sister Sylvia, their formidable Aunt Markham, and companions Eric, Charley, and Rupert—on a summer ramble across the Blue Ridge into Western North Carolina. Expect exuberant nature writing, local color, and light romantic and social comedy woven through stagecoach jolts,
mountain climbs, and spa-town encounters in and around Asheville. At the start of the narrative, the family debates how to reach the mountains, finally sending their carriage and horses one way while they take the railroad to Old Fort and a stage over Swannanoa Gap with famed driver John Pence. After a brace breaks and a tunnel-side pause, they ascend through streams, laurel, and precipices to a glorious summit view, then descend by moonlight along the Swannanoa to arrive in Asheville. The next day brings bright surveys of the hilltop town, a chance meeting with the charming Creole siblings Adèle and Victor Dupont, a detour to the French Broad and Deaver’s Springs for sulphur water, and a sunset-and-moonrise rapture atop Beaucatcher, followed by Victor’s music at the hotel. At dawn Sylvia and Victor ride back to Beaucatcher to witness a sea of mist at sunrise, then explore the Swannanoa valley; later, fording the river on an afternoon ride, they encounter Ralph Lanier—an ardent acquaintance—hinting that romantic entanglements will accompany the scenic touring. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
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About this eBook
| Author | Reid, Christian, 1846-1920 |
|---|---|
| Illustrator | Sheppard, William Ludwell, 1833-1912 |
| Title | "The land of the sky" : or, Adventures in mountain by-ways |
| Original Publication | New York: D. Appleton and Company, 1875. |
| Note | Wikipedia page about this book: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Land_of_the_Sky |
| Credits | Elizabeth Steere (This book was produced from images made available by the HathiTrust Digital Library.) |
| Language | English |
| LoC Class | PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature |
| Subject | North Carolina -- Fiction |
| Subject | Great Smoky Mountains (N.C. and Tenn.) -- Fiction |
| Category | Text |
| eBook-No. | 76690 |
| Release Date | Aug 17, 2025 |
| Last Update | Sep 24, 2025 |
| Copyright | Public domain in the USA. |
| Downloads | 311 downloads in the last 30 days. |
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