From the book jacket: “From the moment Look Homeward, Angel was first published, the work of Thomas Wolfe has been hailed as a triumph in the art of writing fiction. From that moment, too, the citizens of his home town, Asheville, NC, have asserted, some proudly and some indignantly, that much of his fiction is actually based on fact. In this volume, Floyd C. Watkins has brought together all the publishable material pertaiing to the real life prototypes and actual settings of those vibrant Southern characters that run, pulsating, through Wolfe’s novels and short stories. In relating fact to fiction, Watkins has been able to dispel misunderstandings, confirm rumors, and shed much light on the achievement and creative techniques of this powerful and controversial genius.”