This novel is based on a true story of a notorious moonshiner who decides to take a straighter path in life to impress the woman he loves. The questions are, will it work and will it stick?
This was an interesting book to me as I live near the small town of Tallapoosa, where events took place, so it's a nice piece of local history for me. There are a lot of tidbits, hard facts and photographs of FBI raids, moonshiners and locals in between the pages.
Patrick Curran states at the beginning of the book that several names have been changed as family members related to these events still live in the area. Now isn't that fun...to try to figure out who they are?
A very interesting piece of Georgia history that also gives strong insight into the moonshiner business.
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Sam Alta Dryden, a notorious Georgia moonshiner vows to go straight after years in prison.
Can he break his curse or will it break him?
Alta’s Curse is based on the true story of Alta Dryden, a colorful character from the state of Georgia.
Sam Alta Dryden, a notorious moonshiner from West Georgia, is ready to end his criminal lifestyle.
After many years in the Atlanta Federal Penitentiary, he heads home with the best of intentions. His early success becomes legendary: he regains the trust of his dying wife Shelby, he sells off his moonshine empire, launches a major home building company and is elected mayor of Tallapoosa.
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| Paul Martin Collection: Photo Credit |
Yet he is haunted by the advice of Doc Dorothy, his prison psychologist:
“Alta, yours is the curse of genius. You want to be the smartest man in the room and that makes you a sucker for every crooked deal that comes your way.”