Isabel is a successful sculptor living in Chicago. But when her estranged mother dies, she’s forced to face her brutal childhood growing up in the West Virginia hills, a past that not even her husband knows. Back on the land she has inherited, she’s flooded with memories of the forest where she roamed free, of her beloved lost brother, and of the house where she grew up. Her mother has left her another legacy, too, which reveals secrets that Isabel is only beginning to understand. From Joy Castro comes a heartbreaking and triumphant novel of old wounds and family secrets. It’s partly in the discourse because of that one book. (If you’re looking for books other than Hillbilly Elegy you can read about the history of Appalachia and those living there, head here for a ton of great recommendations, including What You’re Getting Wrong About Appalachia.) But it’s also popping up in fiction more frequently, and I wanted to recommend some more modern novels you can turn to when you’re looking for a book about Appalachia. Each of these books was published more recently than 2010, so if you’ve already read the standards that are typically recommended, these newer release novels will be a great next place to turn to when looking for books set in the Appalachian region. If you’re looking for even more books about Appalachia, including nonfiction, check out this list for more recommendations. Brian left his small hometown in Ohio long ago for NYC, for the freedom to live his life as a gay man and not be chastised for it. After several years in the city and reeling from the fear of and grief caused by the AIDS crisis in the 1980s, he decides to return home, painful and emotional as it is for him. His town hasn’t changed much, and coming home is hard in so many ways for him, but mostly in the unacceptance and rejection and hate he experiences. This is a book of emotions and reckoning with your past, no matter how ugly.
