by Ron Rash
First published 2014
Tracy, Randy, and Vincent tell their stories from the rough country of North Carolina's foothills. Tracy deals with family whiskey recipes and the weight of what his father left behind. Randy stumbles through a marriage that's falling apart while trying to figure out what went wrong. Vincent watches his neighbors raise possums and wonders about the strange religious practices taking hold in their small community. Each man faces choices about whether to stay or leave, whether to repeat their fathers' mistakes or forge something different. The three friends learn hard lessons about alcohol, relationships, and the shaky ground beneath their feet. Their stories weave together across ten connected tales that reveal how people make peace with themselves, their families, and the places that shaped them. Set against the backdrop of rural Appalachia, these linked narratives show three ordinary men grappling with extraordinary questions about belonging and identity.
Genres: literary-fiction, contemporary, southern-gothic, family-drama
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, ordinary-people
Setting: North Carolina, Appalachia
Period: 21st-century
164 pages · Paperback · University of South Carolina Press
Content warnings: alcohol-abuse