Take a photo of a barcode or cover
betanianne 's review for:
Motheater
by Linda H. Codega
I truly adored this book. I think this is the first piece of Appalachian fiction that I've read, and and now I want to read more!
Bennie, a Black woman in the fictional town of Kiron in the Appalachians, is trying to find proof that White Rock Mining Company's unsafe labor practices are killing miners. When she finds a near-dead white lady in the mud of the riverbanks, she brings the stranger home and discovers her new guest isn't what she seems. Motheater is an Appalachian Neighbor who can do real magic with nature, and she doesn't remember her given name or how she ended up at the river, but she knows that she needs to stop the mining companies that are hurting Kire Mountain.
We alternate between a modern Kiron and a late 1800s one that is only starting to negotiate with the big mining companies. This book is deeply Appalachian, with its mining, small town community, and folklore. You can feel the love that Bennie, Motheater, and our author have for this region. The way that these mining companies killed its workers while stripping the land bare, leaving behind poor communities who might not have enough money to ever leave to find better opportunities. This is a beautiful story of love and revenge and fighting for those you love.
Also, this quote made me laugh: "Motheater was a centuries-old witch carved out of the mountain. She wasn't exactly available."
This book comes out on my birthday, and I think it's going to be my birthday gift to myself.
Thank you to Netgalley and Kensington/Erewhon for this ARC.
Bennie, a Black woman in the fictional town of Kiron in the Appalachians, is trying to find proof that White Rock Mining Company's unsafe labor practices are killing miners. When she finds a near-dead white lady in the mud of the riverbanks, she brings the stranger home and discovers her new guest isn't what she seems. Motheater is an Appalachian Neighbor who can do real magic with nature, and she doesn't remember her given name or how she ended up at the river, but she knows that she needs to stop the mining companies that are hurting Kire Mountain.
We alternate between a modern Kiron and a late 1800s one that is only starting to negotiate with the big mining companies. This book is deeply Appalachian, with its mining, small town community, and folklore. You can feel the love that Bennie, Motheater, and our author have for this region. The way that these mining companies killed its workers while stripping the land bare, leaving behind poor communities who might not have enough money to ever leave to find better opportunities. This is a beautiful story of love and revenge and fighting for those you love.
Also, this quote made me laugh: "Motheater was a centuries-old witch carved out of the mountain. She wasn't exactly available."
This book comes out on my birthday, and I think it's going to be my birthday gift to myself.
Thank you to Netgalley and Kensington/Erewhon for this ARC.