Fiction from Appalachian Book Company

When Josie and her brothers uncover a haunted camera, the Mothman legend becomes a terrifying reality that threatens their entire town in this spooky and action-filled novel. Josie may live in the most haunted town in America, but the only strange thing she ever sees is the parade of oddball customers that comes through her family's auction house each week. But… Read more about this item

Henry David Thoreau once wrote that "most men live lives of quiet desperation." Scholars say Thoreau drew this conclusion based on the people he observed in his native northeastern United States. But headlines in any part of the country tell us that Thoreau's observation describes Americans everywhere. Not a day goes by without a prominent citizen being exposed for his… Read more about this item

Beautifully packaged and meticulously written, the slender volume contains gems of essays that readers in many states have already praised. The judges of the West Virginia Press Association wrote, "Dolly Withrow was the clear winner [first-place award, 2000]. Her [essays] are bitingly funny and extremely well written. What a joy to read!" Publisher of "The Jackson Herald," Mike Ruben wrote, "Dolly… Read more about this item

In Death Visits Canaan, we learn about the author's discovery of a solitary gravestone in Canaan Valley. This rough, hand-carved stone shows the initials of a nine-year old, and his date of death, December 5, 1880. That makes this gravestone the oldest dated object known to exist in Canaan Valley. Through extensive research, Dr. Michael discovered the identity of this nine-year… Read more about this item

In Coyotes of Canaan, we experience the day-to-day behavior of an extended family of coyotes, and are rewarded with an insightful, unique, and in-depth glimpse of their lives. This historical novel shows with great empathy how coyotes and wolves live, take care of each other, and nurture their offspring. Dr. Michael describes how coyotes hunt, their highly developed social bonds, their connectedness… Read more about this item

In Eagles over Canaan, we get to know bald eagles up close as they construct a nest, hunt, mate, and rear ever-hungry nestlings. Readers are rewarded with an insightful, in-depth glimpse of their lives and the challenges they face. Dr. Michael spent 30 years researching in Canaan Valley. This fact-based, fictional novel provides an excellent understanding of eagles connectedness to the… Read more about this item

Appalachian Echoes Thomas E. Douglass, series fiction editor "Very real and tremendously moving. . . . Not only an obvious brief for the unfortunate but a well told and honest story." —New York Times "Hubert Skidmore, a native West Virginian, wrote as a witness from inside the belly of the beast. His gift is for pitch-perfect dialogue, a varied cast of characters, and… Read more about this item

Doodle Bug Doodle Bug Your House Is on Fire is a classic coming-of-age novel. It portrays eccentric and sturdy characters that will stick with you long after you put the book away. Set in the mid-1950s, Doodle Bug is the story of 17-year-old Corley Malone when the materially modest but spiritually rich ways of life in rural West Virginia are… Read more about this item

In Shadow of the Alleghenies, we learn about the Allegheny region as it was being settled: the wildlife, the Indians, the climate and the natural resources. Today's armchair adventurers can get a real idea about the habits and habitats of wolves, buffalo, mountain lions, beavers and poisonous snakes. But the best part of Edwin Daryl Michael's special piece of historical… Read more about this item

Kirkus Reviews: A tantalizingly kaleidoscopic look at an event that altered its witnesses' lives forever. Six witnesses relate their divergent interpretations of a violent incident that took place during the Civil War in this novel based on true stories. Caroline Anderson lives in Greenbrier County, Virginia, at the Elmhurst house, a "magnificent place" before the Civil War erupted. President Martin Van… Read more about this item

Sybil Pischke is the acclaimed author of The Legend of Mammy Jane. Ashes of Roses and War is a companion novel and considered a prequel to The Legend of Mammy Jane. It is the story of a strong woman, and life as our hearty ancestors who settled the wilderness experienced it, and tells the story of hardship, romance, and determination.… Read more about this item

23 Shots is the true story of one of West Virginia's most notorious shootouts. It took place in the small town of Boggs, in Webster County in 1894. The face-to-face gunfight inside a post office involved five men and more than a dozen innocent bystanders. The story begins several years earlier in Wise County, Virginia at the infamous Pound Gap Massacre.… Read more about this item

This honest coming of age story takes place along the Elk River and Clendenin in a rapidly changing world between 1913 and 1921. The railroad has arrived, oil and gas is booming, and World War I and the Spanish flu epidemic are ravaging the world—causing major changes in this once isolated farm country. Shaun and his best friend Frankie have never… Read more about this item

First published over 30 years ago, this West Virginia classic is available once again. It is the story of Mammy Jane, a 17-year old girl who marries a widower with five children. It's an amazing story of romance, hardship, devotion, hard work, grief, and love of family. The epic spans several generations and gives an accurate account of life in West… Read more about this item