William "Roy" Pipes

Darby by William Roy Pipes

Murphy, North Carolina

Darby is the first published novel by Dr. William Pipes. It is a novel that is set in the austere and somber beauty of the Appalachian Mountains of Western North Carolina. Darby is a lovely, picturesque community in rural Wilkes County, NC.

William's father, Clen Pipes, who was born in Darby, once told William a story about how, as a boy, he came upon a man standing in the middle of Elk Creek bleeding from a knife wound to his stomach. The man said, in the dialect of 1895, "Clen, I'm stobbed and I'm stobbed bad."

William Pipes took that true story told to him by his father many years earlier, and wrote Darby, a story of danger, suspense, romance, and intrigue interwoven with the history and culture of Appalachia. Lovers of Appalachia will enjoy the two family saga taking place at a time in history when many of the modern conveniences of today were unknown. To those who are unfamiliar with Appalachia and the dialect of that era, and to some extent the dialect still spoken today, will come to also love, respect and understand the people of Appalachia.

Darby begins with the death of George Waldroup, the man who was standing in the middle of Elk Creek, and found by Floyd Caldwell, a neighbor. Floyd Caldwell tried to save George Waldroup, but Waldroup died. Waldroup's family blamed Floyd Caldwell, and the family came to believe Floyd Caldwell killed him. This blame developed into a feud rivaling the one between the West Virginia-Kentucky Hatfield-McCoy of the late 1800s.

The feud involved not only the adults, but the children, especially, the two eight year old sons of each family. In 1904 a duel was held between George Waldroup's brother, Virgil and Floyd Caldwell. A duel directly involving the two, now eighteen year old sons, Andrew Waldroup and William Caldwell.

As the story develops it progresses miraculously into a story of romance and intrigue involving the widow of George Waldroup, Myrtle, her daughter, Deborah, and the sons of Floyd Caldwell and George Waldroup.

Darby is steeped full of dramatic events, Appalachian dialogue, and inspired scenes. Darby will appeal to the romantic, the reader searching for drama, danger, and suspense, while the history and culture of Appalachia is made evident.

People who love the Appalachian people and the Appalachian regions, and those who enjoy a good, clean, touching, mystery novel will certainly enjoy reading Darby. Darby is a novel full of love and hate, sadness and joy. A novel short enough, at around two hundred pages, to be read in a couple of sittings, but even then difficult to put down.

Dr. William "Roy" Pipes retired after 44 years in education. He served as a high school science teacher and coach, an elementary and secondary school principal, school superintendent, and his last 16 years as a college professor. He earned his BS degree from Western Carolina University, his masters from Clemson University, and his doctorate from the University of Georgia.

He always loved writing and after retirement he began writing a novel. His first novel was a romantic murder mystery based on his much-loved Appalachian mountains.

He has written a published novel, Darby. Darby can be viewed and two chapters read free on Amazon.com. Darby has been published by Ecanus Publishing out of Great Britain. Darby is an Appalachian Novel suitable for both young adults and adults.