Paul Brett Johnson

Where do I start with this book? Being from Kentucky and the son of a preacher man, this retelling of an Appalachian folk tale is an absolute riot. A preacher follows the scent of fried chicken wafting in the air to a parishioner's house where he invites himself in for supper...his last supper. After choking on a chicken bone, the friendly church folk must find a way to "get shed of Old Dry Frye" before they get "strung up for murder." What follows is a classic tale of misfortune that comes upon each new person who stumbles upon Old Dry Frye's corpse. Everybody knows Old Dry Frye! And yes, there really is a town in Kentucky called Monkey's Eyebrow.
Paul Johnson does an incredible job with the accents and colloquialisms in the story. I have seen several retellings of this old folktale and I think I like his the best, he nails all the language and sets up the "gotcha" moments just right. I can imagine this being told and retold on front porches and around campfires with banjoes in tow.… (more)