John Ehle
Writing
Biography
John Ehle (1925–2018) was an influential American novelist and screenwriter, often referred to as "the father of Appalachian literature." Born in Asheville, North Carolina, he served in the U.S. Army during World War II before pursuing studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Ehle's works, such as The Land Breakers (1964) and The Winter People (1982), vividly depict life in the Appalachian Mountains, blending historical fiction with rich storytelling. He authored 17 books, including both fiction and non-fiction, and two of his novels were adapted into films: The Winter People and The Journey of August King. Beyond his literary contributions, Ehle was deeply involved in social and educational initiatives in North Carolina, including the creation of the North Carolina Fund to combat poverty. He was married to British actress Rosemary Harris, and their daughter is actress Jennifer Ehle.
Known For
Wayland Jackson, a widower with a young daughter, moves to a small, impoverished mountain village in North Carolina, circa 1934. They are taken in by Collie Wright, a single mother with an illegitimate baby, and she and Wayland soon fall in love. Trouble starts when the identity of her baby's father is revealed.
Winter People
The Journey of August King is a multi-dimensional drama about a North Carolina farmer in 1815. August King, a widower, is on his way home as he does every year after selling his produce and purchasing the stock and goods he will need to survive the winter. On his journey, he comes upon a run-away slave, a young woman about 19 and August King must decide to violate the law and help this slave to freedom or else leave her to be hunted down and, ultimately, returned to her slave owner.