Walking Toward the Sunset

Wayne Winkler’s book is a welcome and dispassionate examination of scholarship on Melungeons and other “tri-racial isolates.” He reports succinctly on the best-known groups and the contentious theories that surround them, including fledgling DNA studies. However, Winkler moves beyond all of this and challenges the very idea of racial differences, noting that we Americans are a poly-genetic people.
Dr. Loyal Jones, retired director of the Appalachian Center at Berea College

Walking Toward the Sunset is the best of the series, providing a straightforward, objective, and nonpolemic review of the stories of, and theories about, Melungeons and their origins…Winkler’s book is a breath of fresh air.
Carolyn Billingsley, Register of the Kentucky Historical Society

Wayne Winkler writes the story of the Melungeons with truth, affection and historical accuracy. For all readers interested in an American story of love, survival and family, look no further than this wonderful book. You will not be disappointed!
Adriana Trigiani, author of the Big Stone Gap trilogy

WALKING TOWARD THE SUNSET is essential reading for anyone interested in the Melungeons of the southern Appalachians. Wayne Winkler, himself of Melungeon ancestry, presents the many conflicting facts and theories about the Melungeons, from their historical origins to their current circumstances. His clear and concise summary of the existing information is the most complete and even-handed survey yet available concerning these legendary people.
Lisa Alther, author of Kinflicks, Original Sins, Other Women, Bedrock, Five Minutes in Heaven and Kinfolks

Walking Toward the Sunset is an excellent book for those who are interested in a fairly objective, in-depth literature review or an examination of Melungeon events in the mid-to-late 20th century.
Kathryn Staley, Appalachian Journal

Walking Toward the Sunset is the best of the series, providing a straightforward, objective, and nonpolemic review of the stories of, and theories about, Melungeons and their origins…Winkler’s book is a breath of fresh air.
Carolyn Billingsley, Register of the Kentucky Historical Society

Walking Toward the Sunset is an excellent book for those who are interested in a fairly objective, in-depth literature review or an examination of Melungeon events in the mid-to-late 20th century.
Kathryn Staley, Appalachian Journal

Walking Toward the Sunset is an excellent case study of how fiction, legend, genealogy, and history can be employed in the construction of a tri-racial identity in a racist society.
Ronald Lewis, Ohio Valley History

Walking Toward the Sunset is an historical examination of the Melungeons. Author Wayne Winkler reviews theories about the Melungeons, compares the Melungeons with other mixed-race groups, and incorporates the latest scientific research to present a comprehensive portrait.Winkler examines the history of the Melungeons and the ongoing controversy surrounding their mysterious origins. Employing historical records, news reports over almost two centuries, and personal interviews, Winkler tells the fascinating story of a people who did not fit the rigid racial categories of American society. Along the way, Winkler recounts the legal and social restrictions suffered by Melungeons and other mixed-race groups, particularly Virginia's 1924 Racial Integrity Act, and he reviews the negative effects of nineteenth- and twentieth-century magazine and journal articles on these reclusive people. Walking Toward the Sunset documents the changes in public and private attitudes toward the Melungeons, the current debates over “Melungeon” identity, and the recent genetic studies that have attempted to shed light on the subject. But most importantly, Winkler relates the lives of families who were outsiders in their own communities, who were shunned and shamed, but who created a better life for their children, descendants who are now reclaiming the heritage that was hidden from them for generations.

$19

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