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A review by courtney_mcallister
Salvation on Sand Mountain: Snake-Handling and Redemption in Southern Appalachia by Dennis Covington
3.0
3.5 stars. First of all, Covington’s writing is spellbinding. Even if he were describing less sensational events, I think I would have still been enamored with his prose. I also appreciate how difficult it must be to write about a staunchly vilified practice with any degree of credibility. The depictions of snake handlers that circulate within the public imagination are preoccupied with deranged, suicidal mountain men and their backwards beliefs. Trying to transform that initial association into a more nuanced attitude is a daunting challenge.
At first, Covington’s “all in” approach to the snake handlers was one of the best parts of the book. Unfortunately, his personal investment in the world of snake handling leads him to delve into his own genealogical background and obscure connection to the Appalachian region and snake handling churches. I really don’t care if he’s related to them by blood – seriously. He finds a news clipping about some Covington brothers who handled snakes back in the day and jumps to all these conclusions about how he’s following the trail of his people blah blah blah. You know, if snake handling had any kind of genetic or biological basis, this might be a valid line of thought. Since there’s no such thing as a snake handling gene or ethnicity, Covington’s obsession feels forced and unnecessary. He's just working too hard to make connections that don't have any real value or meaning.
That being said, I’m glad I read Salvation on Sand Mountain. Covington makes some interesting observations about the Holiness movement and its cultural context. He also (wisely) allows his description of snake handlers to drift away from the serpents. The issues of gender politics and community formation actually seem to eclipse the snakes in the latter half of the book. Even though I found the emphasis on Covington’s genealogy to be awkward and distracting, Salvation gave me a lot to think about and digest. It’s also a wicked fast read.
At first, Covington’s “all in” approach to the snake handlers was one of the best parts of the book. Unfortunately, his personal investment in the world of snake handling leads him to delve into his own genealogical background and obscure connection to the Appalachian region and snake handling churches. I really don’t care if he’s related to them by blood – seriously. He finds a news clipping about some Covington brothers who handled snakes back in the day and jumps to all these conclusions about how he’s following the trail of his people blah blah blah. You know, if snake handling had any kind of genetic or biological basis, this might be a valid line of thought. Since there’s no such thing as a snake handling gene or ethnicity, Covington’s obsession feels forced and unnecessary. He's just working too hard to make connections that don't have any real value or meaning.
That being said, I’m glad I read Salvation on Sand Mountain. Covington makes some interesting observations about the Holiness movement and its cultural context. He also (wisely) allows his description of snake handlers to drift away from the serpents. The issues of gender politics and community formation actually seem to eclipse the snakes in the latter half of the book. Even though I found the emphasis on Covington’s genealogy to be awkward and distracting, Salvation gave me a lot to think about and digest. It’s also a wicked fast read.