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by Matthew R. Sparks (Editor), Olivia Sizemore (Editor), Olivia Sizemore (Illustrator)
The hills of the Appalachian region hold secrets--dark, deep, varied, and mysterious. These secrets are often told in the form of eerie, hair-raising, and creepy folktales that reveal strange sightings and oddities, and they commonly serve as cautionary tales for eager and curious ears. These spine-tingling stories have been shared among family members and neighbors in eastern Kentucky for generations.
Haint Country: Dark Folktales from the Hills and Hollers is a collection of weird, otherworldly, and mystic phenomena--tales that have been recorded and documented for the first time. Collected and adapted by Matthew R. Sparks and Olivia Sizemore, the anthology explores ghosts or "haints," strange creatures or "boogers," haunted locations or "stained earth," uncanny happenings or "high strangeness," and humorous Appalachian ghost encounters. Contemporary first-person yarns about black panthers, demons, and spectral coal miners reflect the style and dialect of the region. Though comprised of a mixture of claimed accounts and fictional lore, the locations and people woven throughout are very real.
Complemented by evocative watercolor illustrations by Olivia Sizemore (who was inspired by the work of Stephen Gammell), Haint Country is a thrilling and bone-chilling excursion to the spooky corner of Appalachia.
Author Biography
Matthew R. Sparks holds a doctorate in Middle East studies from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in Beersheva, Israel. A native of southeastern Kentucky, he is a writer and researcher focusing on minority ethnic and religious communities in the Middle East. Olivia Sizemore, who was born and raised in Leslie County, Kentucky, holds a BA in studio art from Berea College.
