When an Appalachian holler town is suddenly swallowed into the earth, its sole survivor-the nameless, second-person narrator of You, From Below-embarks on a journey up a nearby mountain to get answers. With a mysterious envelope in their pocket that they know they must deliver, the narrator encounters a faceless beekeeper, an undying woman, and a righteous schoolteacher of a town that was raptured overnight while confronting their own past and the death of both the town and people they left behind. Em J Parsley's You, From Below burrows into the ecological, economic, and emotional state of Central Appalachia to examine its past, present, and the nature of reciprocity through this speculative, introspective, fable-like exploration of collapse and regeneration.
Praise for You, From Below:
"Em J Parsley has penned The Wizard of Oz for modern-day Appalachia. You, From Below swept me into a whirlwind, and I loved every twist and turn. Parsley expertly spins the surreal into the all-too-real, delivering powerful instruction about how to push on after life as you know it has quite literally crumbled before your eyes. This book is a terror, a beauty, a comfort; it is one to hold close in hard times, for all times."
-Kristen Gentry, author of Mama Said
"Weaves Appalachian landscape and lore with magical realism, guiding readers on an urgent journey up a treacherous mountain path where they will meet characters both curious and disturbing. With intimate knowledge of the region, Parsley crafts a world where disaster and wonder coexist, blurring the lines between history and myth. Lovely, lush, and haunting."
-Alisa Alering, author of Smothermoss
"A surreal novella that grabs your hand and pulls you along for a deeply personal trek through childhood, loss and memory. Em J Parsley expertly captures stifling vignettes of the Appalachian summer, as uneasy and fragmented as the town of Mission itself. Haunting and as inescapable as the kudzu-will cling to you for days after reading."
-William A. Wellman, creator of Hello From The Hallowoods
