The Foxfire Book of Appalachian Women

Stories of Landscape and Community in the Mountain South

By: Kami Ahrens

Narrated by: Reyna Star

Length: 12 hrs and 32 mins

Publisher's summary

The Foxfire Magazine, a literary journal first published in 1967 in Rabun Gap, Georgia, was founded on the belief that stories and meaning could be found in Appalachian spaces, not only in classics such as Shakespeare. Filled with poetry and prose from local students and authors, the magazine also featured interviews with relatives and neighbors. These oral histories conducted by students from the Rabun Gap-Nacoochee School quickly became the star of the magazine and, eventually, the material which generated the multi-volume Foxfire book series.

Now, pulled from the vast Foxfire archive, come twenty-one oral histories from southern Appalachian women. These remarkable narratives illuminate a diverse regional culture held together by the threads that are woven between women and place, and through generations. Told sometimes with humor, sometimes with sadness, but always with a gripping rawness and honesty, the stories recount women’s lived experiences from 1967 to the present, from Georgia and Alabama into Tennessee and the Carolinas. The women’s own voices cover work, family, and community; Cherokee and Black experiences; changes in Appalachian culture; and the importance of mothers and grandmothers, which provides a glimpse into the roles and culture of mountain women in the 1850s-1900s. As a collective, the stories speak against the notion of tough mountain women often put forth by writers, ethnographers, and journalists. Rather, the vulnerability in this book offers a richness of women’s experiences and speaks to the many varied expressions of their strength.

©2023 Kami Ahrens (P)2023 The University of North Carolina Press

Rich histories

I absolutely loved all of the stories. They were so entertaining and also very informative. I learned a lot from these interviews.

Incredible book!

This book includes so many powerful stories, weaving the history of Appalachia, through the personal stories of women from a variety of different backgrounds and races. The stories were told in chronological order which transported us through time with the lives of these wise women.

Outstanding!

Being an Appalachian myself this book brought back so many memories and lessons learned from my ancestors.
It was also close to home, 1 story being from my own county. I wish all the books were available on Audible. I loved this . Highly recommend

Wonderful read!

I absolutely loved this book, especially the older generation and their stories and teachings of how they did things! I think a book like this should be required reading in southern schools. What blew me away was in my generation, we constantly hear how the black race is abused but when you listen to these black ladies interviews and the white ladies, they both had it very hard In similar ways but both made the best of what they had and didn’t harp on the unfairness of their lives. Our world needs to be more like this now and remember all of our ancestors or current family members have all had it unfair at sometime in life. Life’s what you make it daily! Also love the faith in God several of these ladies shown! Highly recommend this book!!