First published 1997
Nunn Ballew lives in the Kentucky hills where foxhunting defines a man's worth. He spends his days tracking a legendary red fox through the Appalachian mountains with his hounds, while his family struggles to survive on their hardscrabble farm. His wife Milly tends the children and worries about their future as Nunn becomes increasingly obsessed with the hunt. The chase for the fox becomes a test of endurance that pits Nunn's pride against his family's needs. Neighbors gather to share stories and judge each other's hounds, creating a tight community bound by tradition and competition. As seasons pass, the hunt reveals the deeper tensions between dream and duty, between the wild freedom of the mountains and the harsh demands of farming life. Arnow captures the rhythm of rural Kentucky existence through the eyes of people who know every ridge and hollow of their land.
Genres: american-fiction, historical-fiction, 20th-century, family-drama
Vibes: atmospheric, emotional, intimate
Tropes: dream-vs-duty, obsession
Setting: Appalachian Mountains, Kentucky
Period: 20th Century
387 pages · Paperback · Michigan State University Press