8 Books About Appalachian True Stories

Most people know Dorothy Allison for her novel Bastard Out of Carolina, but Allison also writes incredible nonfiction. In Two Or Three Things I Know for Sure, Allison writes about her childhood in this short memoir. Her prose is lyrical with her classic eye for detail. Through the whole book, I found myself engrossed in her writing.

Neema Avashia’s stunning debut book invites readers into her childhood home in West Virginia. The daughter of Indian immigrants, Avashia grew up with few people who looked like her. But so many of the people around her embraced her family and invited them into the community. During the 2016 election and beyond, Avashia began to see people she loved post hateful things on their Facebook. Avashia’s memoir captures the complex emotions of loving a place that doesn’t always love you back.

This award-winning book is an incredible memoir of a gay Black boy coming of age in Ohio. Brian Broome’s working-class childhood is a confusing swirl of family strife, racism, and colorism because of his dark skin, and a society not accepting of his sexuality. Broome moves on to college and eventually Pittsburgh, a place he now calls home.

A lot of people outside the region have very little knowledge about the history of Appalachia and how we’ve reached this present moment. Ronald D. Eller’s Uneven Ground gives readers an excellent background in the history of Appalachia, including the different government programs and various industries that have had a deep impact on the region.

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Chris Hamby writes about the modern battle with black lung disease and the miners fighting coal companies to be held accountable. The mining industry has a long history with black lung disease, which is still a huge problem for miners. Coal companies will do everything in their power to avoid giving the miners compensation and taking appropriate measures to protect their employees from acquiring the disease.

bell hooks is an international superstar of the literary world. But hooks always came back to her Kentucky roots, supporting the community that helped make her who she is. In Belonging, she writes about the erasure of Black identity in Kentucky, the state’s unique history of systemic racism, and the importance of Black people feeling accepted in the place you call home.

With so much anti-LGBTQ+ legislation making its way across many Applachian states, supporting LGBTQ+ folks and their stories grows even more important. In Y’All Means All, queer writers from a wide range of backgrounds and experiences share their unique insights on what it means to be Appalachian. Some have been able to stay in their Appalachian communities while others have made their homes elsewhere. But all of them still have that connection to the mountains and hope for a better, more inclusive, future for the region.

Far too often, the histories written about Appalachia leave out the unique stories of its Black communities. William Turner has spent his career correcting the narrative. Black people were, and have always been, a vital part of Appalachia. In The Harlan Renaissance, Turner writes about Black communities, like the one he grew up in, giving readers a detailed picture of what the history of these communities looked like decades ago.