Charles Frazier (born November 4, 1950) is an American novelist. He won the 1997 National Book Award for Fiction for '' Cold Mountain''.

Biography

Early life

Frazier was born in Asheville, North Carolina, grew up in

Andrews Andrews may refer to: Places Australia *Andrews, Queensland *Andrews, South Australia United States *Andrews, Florida (disambiguation), various places *Andrews, Indiana *Andrews, Nebraska *Andrews, North Carolina *Andrews, Oregon *Andrews, South ...

and Franklin, North Carolina, and graduated from the

University of North Carolina The University of North Carolina is the Public university, public university system for the state of North Carolina. Overseeing the state's 16 public universities and the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics, it is commonly referre ...

in 1973. He earned an M.A. from Appalachian State University in the mid-1970s, and received his Ph.D. in English from the

University of South Carolina The University of South Carolina (USC, SC, or Carolina) is a Public university, public research university in Columbia, South Carolina, United States. Founded in 1801 as South Carolina College, It is the flagship of the University of South Car ...

in 1986. A 1985 published work by Frazier was a trail guide to the Andes and environs for the Sierra Club. Frazier taught English, first at University of Colorado Boulder, then English at

North Carolina State University North Carolina State University (NC State, North Carolina State, NC State University, or NCSU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Raleigh, North Carolina, United States. Founded in 1887 and p ...

. His wife convinced him to quit in order to work full-time on his novel. His friend and fellow North Carolina novelist, Kaye Gibbons, presented his unfinished novel to her literary agency, which led to the publication of ''Cold Mountain''.

Career

''Cold Mountain'' was his first novel, published in 1997 by

Atlantic Monthly Press Grove Atlantic, Inc. is an American independent publisher, based in New York City. Formerly styled "Grove/Atlantic, Inc.", it was created in 1993 by the merger of Grove Press and Atlantic Monthly Press. As of 2018 Grove Atlantic calls itself " ...

. It traces the journey of Inman, a wounded deserter from the Confederate army near the end of the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

. It follows his harrowing journey from deserting the army to finding his way back to the woman he left behind, Ada, who waits for him, dealing with all kinds of hardships herself. The power of Ada and Inman's love, and their dedication to reuniting, is the driving force of the novel, along with Frazier's incorporation of historical context. The work is rich in the culture and sensibilities of the North Carolina mountains, and is based on local history and stories handed down by Frazier's father about Frazier's great-great-uncle, William Pinkney "Pink" Inman (1839- 6 February 1865). Inman, who was from Haywood County, the area around Cold Mountain in western North Carolina, served in the Confederate Army, from which he deserted after being wounded twice, and is buried in the Bethel Community Cemetery, Bethel, Haywood County, North Carolina. "Pink" Inman served as a private in Company F of the 25th North Carolina Infantry, and his regiment did participate in the fighting in the Siege of Petersburg, including the Battle of the Crater. ''Cold Mountain'' won the 1997 U.S. National Book Award"National Book Awards – 1997"
National Book Foundation. Retrieved 2012-03-27.
(With acceptance speech by Frazier and essay by Harold Schechter from the Awards 60-year anniversary blog.) and was adapted as a 2003 film of the same name by Anthony Minghella. Frazier's second novel, '' Thirteen Moons'', published in 2006, traces the story of one man across a century of change in America. Also set in western North Carolina, the novel traces one white man's involvement with the

Cherokee The Cherokee (; , or ) people are one of the Indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands of the United States. Prior to the 18th century, they were concentrated in their homelands, in towns along river valleys of what is now southwestern ...

Indians just before, during and after their removal to Oklahoma. It is a story of struggle and triumph against the emerging U.S. government's plan to remove native Cherokee people to Oklahoma. Based on the success of ''Cold Mountain'', Frazier was offered an $8 million advance for ''Thirteen Moons''. Frazier's 2011 book, ''Nightwoods'', takes place in the 20th century, although the setting is still the

Appalachian Mountains The Appalachian Mountains, often called the Appalachians, are a mountain range in eastern to northeastern North America. The term "Appalachian" refers to several different regions associated with the mountain range, and its surrounding terrain ...

. Frazier's fourth novel, ''Varina'', is based on the life of Varina Davis, First Lady of the Confederate States of America. It was published in 2018. Frazier's fifth novel, ''The Trackers'', follows a painter during the

Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...

who tracks down a woman with a valuable painting.

Works

*'' Cold Mountain '' (1997) *'' Thirteen Moons'' (2006) *''Nightwoods'' (2011) *''Varina'' (2018) *''The Trackers'' (2023)

References

External links

An Interview with Charles Frazier, about ''Cold Mountain''
at BookBrowse
Charles Frazier
at

Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is a research library in Washington, D.C., serving as the library and research service for the United States Congress and the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It also administers Copyright law o ...

Authorities — with catalog records {{DEFAULTSORT:Frazier, Charles 1950 births Living people 20th-century American novelists 21st-century American novelists American historical novelists American male novelists Appalachian State University alumni Appalachian writers Audiobook narrators National Book Award winners Writers from Asheville, North Carolina University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill alumni University of South Carolina alumni 20th-century American male writers 21st-century American male writers People from Cherokee County, North Carolina People from Franklin, North Carolina