Tales from Kentucky Sheriffs - Paperback

by William Lynwood Montell (Author)

Following the success of his collections of stories from funeral directors, schoolteachers, doctors, and lawyers, folklorist William Lynwood Montell presents a new volume of tales from Kentucky sheriffs. Montell collected stories from all areas of the state to represent the diversity of social and economic backgrounds in the various communities the officers serve.

Tales from Kentucky Sheriffs covers elections, criminal behavior, and sheriff's mistakes in a lighthearted and often humorous manner. The book includes accounts of a drunk driver who thought he was in a different state, a sheriff running a sting operation with the U.S. Marshals, and a woman reporting a tomato thief in her garden. Other accounts involve procedural errors with serious consequences, such as the tale of a sheriff who mistakenly informs a man that his son has committed suicide. Together, these firsthand narratives preserve important aspects of Kentucky's history not likely to be recorded elsewhere.

Author Biography

William Lynwood Montell is professor emeritus of folk studies at Western Kentucky University. He is the author of more than twenty books, including Tales from Kentucky Lawyers, Tales from Kentucky Doctors, Tales from Kentucky Funeral Homes, and Tales from Kentucky One-Room School Teachers.