"Passing The Music Down" is a children's book written by
Sarah Sullivan and illustrated by Barry Root, a story inspired
by the true story of two celebrated musicians, the late Melvin
Wine of Braxton County and Calhoun County's own Jake Krack

By Greg Moore
wvgazette.com

Charleston, W.Va. - Children's author Sarah Sullivan wanted to see tears at the end of her latest book, "Passing The Music Down."

"I sound like a terrible person saying this, but it really was important to me that when Jake first read this book, he was crying at the end of it," Sullivan said.

"Jake" is Jake Krack, a young award-winning fiddle player. The picture book, scheduled for release on May 10, focuses on the relationship between a young fiddle player like him and his mentor, based on longtime fiddle player Melvin Wine, who died in 2003.

In a lengthy author's note, Sullivan wrote that the book is "inspired by the true story of two celebrated musicians," but Sullivan says the story is almost completely theirs.

"It's almost exact," she said. "The only things that were made up were the two dogs greeting Jake and his dad when they went out to Melvin's house.

"And Jake says there was at least one dog there, so that's partly right too."

Read Greg Moore's complete story Passing the music down

Author Sarah Sullivan, in her Charleston home, talks about her
latest book, "Passing The Music Down." The picture book tells
the stories of the friendship between an old fiddle player and
a young boy and the wisdom - musical and otherwise - passed down.

(Charleston Gazette photo by Lawrence Pierce)