Quick Synopsis – Lee returns to her estranged, magical family in Appalachia, where a conjuring meant to protect the community may have summoned something sinister. Now Lee must work to protect her children and reconnect with a magic she was sure she no longer felt.

Song This Reminds Me Of – Take Me Home, Country Roads by John Denver

Publication Date – Aug. 6, 2024

Content Notes – There is discussion and depiction of alcoholism, drug abuse, and overdoses. There is a brief scene that contains the sexual assault of a minor. There is some blood and vomiting throughout the book.

Rating – ⭐⭐⭐⭐out of 5

Review – I’m from Appalachian Kentucky and I really enjoyed this book. Whenever I go home, I feel like nature is magic. I thought this book dealt with a lot of complex issues that rural Americans face, and it wasn’t making a caricature of Appalachian people. I did have some issues with pacing and the way one of the storylines wraps up. Overall though, I enjoyed this book. I think if you liked “Practical Magic,” you’d probably really like this book because I can definitely see parallels.

Lee is going through a divorce and returns home to rural Virginia with her two kids in tow. Lee hasn’t been home since she was 18 and while there’s more fast food and strip malls, a lot of things are still the same. Her Grandma Mama, Belva, is still practicing folk magic to help people in the community. When Belva hexes a pedophile, the man turns up dead. While Belva promises her magic couldn’t have done this, Lee isn’t so sure. Lee works to find out what is rotting their community and learning some magic never leaves.

I thought Lee’s story of reconnecting with her family and sorting her own trauma out was relatable. Lee grew up in a community where she felt accepted and magical, until her father died in a bridge collapse and her mother succumbed to addiction. The way addiction is portrayed didn’t feel disrespectful or like Hillbilly Elegy (the worst depiction of Appalachia). I also liked that there wasn’t a magical cure for addiction. It was something the person had to face and recover from.

Again, there was a storyline that felt like it just ended and had no clear resolution, but overall, I recommend this book.

Thanks to Atria and NetGalley for the advanced copy, all opinions are my own.