I want to go hiking, but it’s snowing. The snow itself is not stopping me, but the fear of driving on unsalted roads. My alternative snow day plans include gathering an oversized mug of tea, my dog, all the blankets, and a book from the ever-growing book pile.
Some of the books I have on hand highlight the music and nature of Appalachia, while others tell haunting stories or tales of old. Here’s a sampling from the top of the pile.
Wayfaring Strangers: A Musical Voyage from Scotland and Ulster to Appalachia
Authors Richie and Orr share the history of Appalachian music, tracing its routes across oceans and lands and following its development across centuries.
Ritchie, Fiona, and Doug Orr. Wayfaring Strangers: A Musical Voyage from Scotland and Ulster to Appalachia. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2014.
Appalachian Book of the Dead
Lost souls intertwine in the woods of Western North Carolina in this modern Southern Gothic novel. The reader watches from the side as a killer roams the woods where a retired stockbroker and his wife, a handyman, and a young detoxing woman grapple with their personal ghosts and demons.
Neal, Dale. Appalachian Book of the Dead. SFK Press, 2019.
Smoky Mountain Magic
Initially written in 1929, Kephart’s fictional story focuses on the interactions between Appalachian settlers, outsiders, and the Cherokee in the Smoky Mountains around Bryson City, NC. It remained unpublished until 2009. Kephart was a travel writer, outdoorsman, and advocate for creating the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Kephart, Horace. Smoky Mountain Magic. Smokies Life, 2024.
George Masa: A Life Reimagined
Photographer George Masa is known for his stunning black-and-white images of the Great Smoky Mountains and the surrounding region. His work helped map the National Park and the Appalachian Trail. Portions of Masa’s life were a mystery until author Janet McCue and filmmaker Paul Bonesteel decided to team up to research the mysterious and phenomenal photographer. Traveling between the US and Japan, the two meticulously pieced together this intriguing biography.
Bonesteel, Paul, and McCue, Janet. George Masa: A Life Reimagined. Smokies Life, 2024.
As a bookish person, I would be amiss if I didn’t suggestion to support your local bookstore. So many local bookstores are sprinkled throughout the Blue Ridge area, and they’re excellent places to learn more about our heritage and those who have contributed to it. And they’re usually great places to wile away snowy or rainy days!
May these books and others lead you down more Blue Ridge Trails!
~Bridget, Communications Manager
