Smothermoss

Sheila and Angie are sisters growing up together in 1980s Appalachia. Despite their shared blood, they could not be more different. At 17, Sheila is the responsible one, caring for the home she shares with her sister and mother, who works long days at the nearby state asylum. Twelve-year-old Angie is always out in nature, fighting off imaginary supernatural beings and creating tarot-like cards she uses for divination. When two women hikers are found beaten to death on the nearby Appalachian Trail, the sisters are drawn into the mystery, eventually realizing that something far more threatening than a murderer looms before them. Though they have often inhabited their own orbits, now their only hope of surviving is to draw strength from each other. Alering’s evocative debut incorporates Appalachian folklore into a complex story about sisterhood and sinister truths. Narrator Susan Bennett gives a stunning performance, perfectly capturing the regional accents and conveying the lyricism of Alering’s lush prose. Bennett’s impeccable pacing ensures listeners will feel the world closing in as the story gains momentum.