Strange Folk begins when a woman named Opaline, who left her home in Craw Valley at the age of eighteen, returns to Appalachia after a long absence. Now known as Lee, she has been to college and started a family, but a divorce leaves her and her two children, Merideth and Cliff, with nowhere to go, so she returns to the home of her grandmother Belva, a woman who practices the folk magic of the region. When her grandmother’s magic becomes suspect due to the discovery of a dead body, the family is drawn into a dangerous search for answers.
This book is beautifully written. It is filled with Appalachian folklore and magic that comes from a deep connection to the land itself. The novel does not shy away from difficult topics like addiction, abuse, and intergenerational trauma, but it also captures the enduring spirit of small town mountain life. Although Lee has been educated and now sees magic as a way for people with few resources to feel they have control and power over their own lives, she and her children come face to face with the ancient practice of folk witchcraft. Lee’s son Cliff is my favorite character. He sees people in colors, describing them as “marigold” or “green glitter.”
Told alternately through the lenses of Lee and her daughter Merideth, the book explores the complex relationships between mothers and daughters. The healing effects of folk magic are equated to emotional healing and self-discovery. The book has plenty of plot twists and a touch of romance, but I loved it for its exploration of folk magic in Appalachia. The prologue, which relays a description of a magical gathering beneath a dark sky, enchanted me. If you enjoy stories about family trauma and generational secrets wrapped in magical realism, give Strange Folk a try! You can find it here.
Thank you to NetGalley for a free copy of the book in exchange for a fair review.
Kelly Jarvis works as the Assistant Editor for The Fairy Tale Magazine where she writes stories, poems, essays, book reviews, and interviews. Her poetry has also been featured or is forthcoming in Blue Heron Review, Mermaids Monthly, Eternal Haunted Summer, Forget Me Not Press, The Magic of Us, A Moon of One’s Own, Baseball Bard, and Corvid Queen. Her short fiction has appeared in The Chamber Magazine and the World Weaver Press Anthology Mothers of Enchantment: New Tales of Fairy Godmothers. You can connect with her on Facebook (Kelly Jarvis, Author) or Instagram (@kellyjarviswriter) or find her at https://kellyjarviswriter.com/
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