Escape to the Hills: A Summer Reading List Set in Appalachia

Looking for the perfect summer reads that will transport you to misty mountains, small-town secrets, and hollers packed with heart? Appalachia isn’t just a region—it’s a rich, storied setting that has inspired some of the most powerful, haunting, and imaginative storytelling in American literature. Whether you’re into gritty realism, lyrical memoirs, or fantasy with a mountain twist, this list has something for everyone. So pour some sweet tea, pull up a rocking chair, and dive into these Appalachian page-turners: Camelot, West Virginia by Cyn Mackley Modern legend meets mountain grit. A fresh twist on the Arthurian legend, this novel plants the Knights of the Round Table smack dab in modern-day West Virginia, reimagined as first responders and small-town heroes. With witty banter, deep heart, and a dose of magic, Camelot, West Virginia is a genre-bending delight where firemen wield axes and honor in equal measure. Fans of fantasy, folklore, and quirky crime fiction will find themselves right at home in this hill-country take on high legend. The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson Historical fiction with heart. Set in 1930s Kentucky, this bestselling novel follows Cussy Mary Carter, one of the real-life Pack Horse Librarians who delivered books to rural mountain communities. Cussy is also one of the rare "blue people" of Kentucky, making her story one of both survival and self-discovery in a time and place where being different was dangerous. Appalachian Reckoning: A Region Responds to Hillbilly Elegy, edited by Anthony Harkins & Meredith McCarroll Smart, searing, and deeply necessary. This collection of essays, poetry, and scholarship is a direct response to the narratives presented in Hillbilly Elegy. Contributors from across the region push back against stereotypes and offer a truer, more complex portrait of Appalachian life. Shiner by Amy Jo Burns Secrets, moonshine, and fire in the West Virginia hills. In a remote Appalachian town, 15-year-old Wren’s world is upended by violence and truth buried deep in the holler. Burns writes with lyrical prose about faith, family, and the mythologies we build to protect ourselves. Shiner reads like a fever dream in the summer heat. The Secret Wisdom of the Earth by Christopher Scotton A coming-of-age tale steeped in grief and beauty. After a tragedy, 14-year-old Kevin and his mother retreat to his grandfather’s home in the coal-mining town of Medgar, Kentucky. What unfolds is a story about land, loss, and legacy—told with stunning prose and aching authenticity. Bloodroot by Amy Greene Generations of women, magic, and memory. Set in the mountains of East Tennessee, this novel spans generations of a family bound by a mysterious gift—and a history of pain. Greene weaves a haunting tapestry of folklore, love, and Appalachian mysticism. Justified (TV Tie-In with stories by Elmore Leonard) Gunslingers in the new South. Okay, we’re cheating a little with this one, but if you loved Justified, there are several stories and books by Elmore Leonard—like Fire in the Hole—that inspired the series. Set in Harlan County, Kentucky, it’s modern-day outlaw justice with cowboy swagger and sharp dialogue. So Why Appalachia? Because this region—so often misunderstood—is a place of beauty, complexity, resilience, and contradiction. These books go beyond the clichés and show us real, flawed, unforgettable characters who could only come from the hollers, hills, and heart of Appalachia.

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