These thirteen lyrical tales of the Southern Appalachians evoke with crystal clarity the natural world of this rural environment. From Civil War prison camps to contemporary trailer parks, these lyrical stories come alive with an array of intriguing characters—male and female, young and elderly, learned and unlearned.

The separate passions and dreams of these individuals mirror the larger cultural and historical dramas of American life. And Morgan’s meticulous eye for detail creates an indelible sense of place in readers both familiar with and strangers to the Blue Ridge Mountains, who will feel the inescapable lure of the region that is Morgan’s birthright.

Opening with the powerful prize-winning “A Brightness New and Welcoming,” about a Confederate soldier in a Chicago prison camp, the collection then charts a course through the changing landscape of the North Carolina mountains—through world wars, Vietnam, and its aftermath—revealing the strengthening and loosening of the strong bonds of Southern families over generations.