Martin B is a short story, based on true events. I wrote my story in the fictionalized town of Jasperville, NC in Everley County. I hope you enjoy this tale.
A legacy built on grit, grace, and good earth.
During the darkest days of the Great Depression, a young drifter named Martin B stepped off a freight train with nothing but calloused hands and an unshakable dream. What began as a patch of forgotten riverbank soon became something much more—a thriving farm, a beloved music festival, and a community anchored in hard work, humility, and heart.
Told through the eyes of a craftsman who becomes both student and friend, Martin B is the unforgettable story of a man who built a life not with wealth or power, but with character. Alongside his fiercely loyal wife Alma, Martin turns adversity into opportunity, filling his days with music, laughter, and the quiet triumphs of an honest life.
From roadside watermelon stands to bluegrass legends under starlit skies, from hand-carved furniture to sheep in the back of a Lincoln Continental, this story sings with warmth and wonder.
Martin B is a tribute to the people who shaped the land—and to the land that shaped them in return.
You won’t just read this story. You’ll feel it in your bones.
Praise for Martin B 🌟
““A tender, wise, and beautifully written story. Martin B is an American original—timeless, grounded, and unforgettable.”
— Rebecca Towne, author of The Slow Road Home
“Battersby’s writing glows with authenticity. This is a book that honors kindness, hard work, and the quiet power of a good life well lived.”
— Miles Harker, Appalachian Review
“If Wendell Berry and Willie Nelson wrote a book together, it might feel something like this.”
— Eli McCray, musician & storyteller
Author’s Note
Some stories arrive like whispers—soft, steady, impossible to ignore. This is one of them.
The tale of Martin B is a work of fiction, but like all the best stories, it’s rooted in truth. Truth not just in events, but in spirit: the grit of the Great Depression, the quiet nobility of a man who built something lasting, and the music—always the music—that brought people together across fields and generations.
Though the names, places, and details have been fictionalized, the heart of this story is inspired by real people and real places that left an indelible mark on my life. Martin B is not one man, but many—hobo and host, farmer and dreamer, builder and believer. Alma, too, is a tribute to the women who loved deeply, worked fiercely, and knew that grace could be found in something as simple as a sheep in the back seat of a Lincoln.
In telling this story, I’ve tried to honor the legacy of those who came before us—those who taught with their hands, welcomed with their hearts, and believed that music, laughter, and good soil were enough to build a life worth remembering.
If this book has made you smile, made you reflect, or made you believe again in the power of kindness and perseverance, then I’ve done my job.
Thank you for reading. And thank you, above all, for listening.
