Strange Folk

May 20, 2024
In Dyer’s rich debut, a woman reckons with her family’s legacy of Appalachian mountain magic. After Lee Carnell splits from her husband, Cooper, she and her adolescent children, Meredith and Cliff, return from California to Craw Valley, the homestead she left 20 years earlier. Under the guidance of her grandmother Belva, who is respected by many of the locals as a witch woman, Lee reacquaints herself with “the power of the land,” which her family and others have channeled for healing purposes. The magic has a vengeful side, too, as Lee learns after Belva casts a spell meant to thwart the lust of a man named Joseph Hall who was caught ogling Meredith’s friend. After Joseph is found dead under mysterious circumstances, Lee confronts her estranged mother Redbud for answers about the scope of the magic’s power. Dyer raises the stakes further when Cooper shows up to try to lure the kids away and Lee rekindles a high school romance. The ease with which Lee and others master the magic feels contrived, but Dyer fortifies the tale with a well-timed surprise and gratifying reconciliations between her characters. It’s catnip for fans of homespun tales of rural America. Agent: Alexandra Machinist, CAA. (Aug.)Correction: An earlier version of this review incorrectly stated that the story takes place in the Ozark mountains.

December 6, 2024

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. VERDICT Dyer's multigenerational tale is ideal for Appalachian fiction fans and readers of magical realism seeking atmospheric new settings.--James Gardner

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