Wayfaring Stranger by Emma John now available in paperback

The paperback edition of Wayfaring Stranger, the story of how a London author fell in love with bluegrass and old time music during a visit to the Appalachian region, is now available.

Written by Emma John, city girl through and through, the book’s complete title reads Wayfaring Stranger – A Musical Journey In The American South. It was initially released to critical acclaim in 2019, being named one of the best travel books of the decade by Newsweek magazine.

The book describes how John, who trained as a violinist as a girl but had become disenchanted with the instrument as she matured, rediscovered a passion for it while traveling in the United States. Inspired by a newfound appreciation of the music of Mumford & Sons, a planned six month visit stretched several months longer after finding the warm and accepting spirit of the traditional music community in the rural South.

Wayfaring Stranger has been praised not only for John’s exploration of a culture unfamiliar to British city dwellers, but also for the insights she provides into the music and the people who make it. In fact, on the very first day of her journey, she stumbled into a patch of country folks who played fiddle music, and their embrace kept her in western North Carolina for some time.

Emma now plays bluegrass fiddle and is a serious student of the style.

Anyone looking for a bluegrass-related gift for a reader on their list might be interested in this one.

Wayfaring Stranger is available in both hardcover and paperback editions, as well as audio book, Kindle, and Nook formats.

Share this:

About the Author

John Lawless

John had served as primary author and editor for The Bluegrass Blog from its launch in 2006 until being folded into Bluegrass Today in September of 2011. He continues in that capacity here, managing a strong team of columnists and correspondents.