Cross Mountain Books is excited to announce  that our book, Ada's Journal & Emma's Letters, is available directly through CMB, but also Amazon.com and numerous other online retailers. Meticulously researched, this true story takes the reader back to the 1850s, the mountains of East Tennessee, and one of the largest plantations in Louisiana, located on the banks of the Mississippi River. Emma Peck recorded an incredible handwritten journal from the viewpoint of her firstborn daughter, Ada Louise Peck (1853-1859) from 1853 until 1855.

In Ada's Journal you will travel up and down the Mighty Mississippi on steamboats, travel across Tennessee and visit a copper mine in Virginia by stagecoach, and ride newly laid railroads throughout the South.

In Emma's Letters, hear the perspective of a southern woman, writing to her best friend, expressing her concern over the coming war between the states. Listen to her frustration as her mom now lives in a different country than she does, as Louisiana seceded from the Union prior to Tennessee. Listen to a first-hand account of what it was like to live through America's Civil War, and hear their sadness as they learn of family members dying in war, by conflict or disease. Finally, enjoy the interactive features of the book as QR codes allow the reader to dive deeper into actual locations, historical events, and even travel with the author to Glen Ada, Ada's home in Wolf Creek, TN.

THE PECKS OF MOSSY CREEK SERIES highlights Adam Peck, Sr. and his wife Elizabeth (Sharkey) Peck, the founding family of Mossy Creek (now Jefferson City), TN and the stories and writings of their ancestors and descendants.

CMB has paperback and hardcover color editions of Ada's Journal & Emma's Letters in stock and ready to ship! Special wholesale discounts are available by contacting us by clicking the contact us link below.

Amazon Kindle, Barnes & Noble Nook, Apple Books, SCRIBD, Rakuten kobo, OverDrive, and more!

"Mr. Peck has masterfully brought the past to life through the transcription of family documents. What's more, the inclusion of photos, maps and other primary source material flesh out the stories found within and transport the reader back to the 1800s.  This methodology and the inclusion of QR codes throughout Ada's Journal make for an interactive and engaging read.  Any fan of genealogy, American history, or family lore is sure to find this book deeply captivating and satisfying.” 

~RYAN JOHNSON, Library Director, BA Historical Studies, MA Library Science, O'Fallon, IL

“Ada's Journal is a peek into the life of a child in the mid-1800s. A child born into a wealthy family who traveled from Tennessee where she was born to Louisiana to visit relatives and to the mountains of East Tennessee. The editor has provided photos and links to give the reader a glimpse into her world.  In addition, he has transcribed letters her mother, Emma Peck wrote to her friend, Emma Allen, chronicling the loss of family and friends and the fear of the Civil War.” 

~ LINDA GASS, Archives Assistant, Carson-Newman University, Jefferson City, TN

“In his edited work, Ada's Journal and Emma's Letters, Andy Peck has given us a fascinating look into a Tennessee family's life in the mid-nineteenth century.  With the addition of detailed research and a variety of family pictures, images, and interactive links highlighting the world they lived in, the Peck's come to life as we experience their perseverance among numerous tragedies.  This will be a valuable addition to our Special Collections.”

~ ALBERT L. LANG, Special Collections Librarian & Archivist, Mildred L. Iddins Special Collections, Stephens-Burnett Memorial Library, Carson-Newman University, Jefferson City, Tennessee

Ada's Journal is available WHOLESALE direct through CMB, but also via Ingram.