Description:
In 1980s Appalachia, sisters Sheila and Angie couldn't be more different. While their mother works long shifts at the nearby asylum, Sheila cares for their home and keeps to herself, even when enduring relentless bullying. Her fearless younger sister, Angie, is more focused on fighting imaginary zombies and creating tarot-like cards that seem to have minds of their own.
When the brutal murder of two female hikers on the nearby Appalachian Trail stuns their small community, the sisters find themselves tangled in a dangerous game of cat and mouse. Angie discovers a ripped, blood-soaked shirt; money Sheila's been stashing away disappears; and a strange man tries to barter with a woman's watch at a local store. As the threat of violence looms larger, the mysterious, ancient mountain they live on--and their willingness to trust each other--might be the only things that can save these sisters from the darkness consuming their home.
In turns both terrifying and otherworldly, author Alisa Alering opens the door to the hidden world of Smothermoss--a mountain that sighs, monsters made of ink, rabbits dead and alive, and ropes that won't come undone. Unsettling, propulsive, and wonderfully atmospheric, Alering's stunning debut novel renegotiates what is seen and unseen, what is real and what is haunted.
"Tense and absorbing ... an original story from a truly gifted storyteller."--Karen Joy Fowler
Brief description: Susan Bennett is known for her radio and television voiceover work. She has narrated a host of audiobooks, including those from bestselling authors Peggy Post, Linda Francis Lee, Dorothea Benton Frank, Emma McLaughlin, and Nicola Kraus. Her reading of Tiger, Tiger by Margaux Fragoso won an AudioFile Earphones Award. In describing Susan's reading style, Publishers Weekly has said, "Bennett's narration is excellent: she draws the listener into the story... keeping the pacing brisk and entertaining." Susan also dabbles in the music industry as the singer and keyboardist for The Interactive! Band. Along with her guitarist husband, Rick Hinkle, Bennett is the co-owner of Audiocam Music, a full service recording studio.