Strange Folk

Dyer’s fantasy-laced debut takes place not in a land of castles or skyscrapers but deep in the Appalachian Mountains. Soon to be divorced and with two kids, Lee returns to the rustic town of Craw Valley, where she grew up with her grandmother Belva, a practitioner of folk magic. As Lee is drawn back into the world she thought she’d left behind, she is forced to delve into her magical ancestry to save her loved ones from the evil forces surrounding them. Narrators Megan Tusing, Suehyla El Attar-Young, and Kitty Hendrix each reveal the different perspectives of three generations of women: estranged mother Redbud, Lee, and Lee’s teen daughter Meredith. Their complicated dynamic sets up the main conflict of the book, juxtaposing the tension between older traditions and modern sensibilities. Dyer’s novel is reminiscent of classic fantasy stories where protagonists rediscover magical powers within themselves. At the same time, she adds a freshness to the genre, capturing current aspects of Appalachia, from the enduring generational ties to the scourge of addiction.