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Beginning Again: Stories of Movement and Migration in Appalachia
Appalachia has been a place of movement and migration—for individuals, families, and entire communities—for centuries.
Beginning Again brings together twelve narratives of refugees, migrants, and generations-long residents that explore complex journeys of resettlement. In their stories, Appalachia—despite how it’s popularly portrayed—is not simply a region of poverty and strife populated only by white people. It is a diverse place where belonging and connection are created despite displacement, resource extraction, and inequality.
Among the narratives included: Hear from Claudine Katete, a Rwandan asylum seeker raised in refugee camps who graduated college into the chaos of COVID-19. Follow Amal as she and her family fled war-ravaged Syria and navigated mice-infested housing and unresponsive case workers. Listen to Mekyah Davis, born and raised in Big Stone Gap, as he describes the “slow burn” of everyday racism and his efforts to organize Black Appalachian youth to stay in their communities. Taken together, their stories and more collected here present a nuanced look at life in contemporary Appalachia.
Beginning Again brings together twelve narratives of refugees, migrants, and generations-long residents that explore complex journeys of resettlement. In their stories, Appalachia—despite how it’s popularly portrayed—is not simply a region of poverty and strife populated only by white people. It is a diverse place where belonging and connection are created despite displacement, resource extraction, and inequality.
Among the narratives included: Hear from Claudine Katete, a Rwandan asylum seeker raised in refugee camps who graduated college into the chaos of COVID-19. Follow Amal as she and her family fled war-ravaged Syria and navigated mice-infested housing and unresponsive case workers. Listen to Mekyah Davis, born and raised in Big Stone Gap, as he describes the “slow burn” of everyday racism and his efforts to organize Black Appalachian youth to stay in their communities. Taken together, their stories and more collected here present a nuanced look at life in contemporary Appalachia.
266 pages, Hardcover
Published June 11, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
July 21, 2024
If you’re seeking a book to provide far more nuanced conversation on Appalachian communities than "Hillbilly Elegy" ever could, look no further. The testimonies of every narrator in this book speak to a vision of Appalachia not as a wasteland of poverty and uniformity, but as the place to cherish and call home, even when complicated by the region’s history and politics. The fact that the storytelling is kept raw, uncut with outside commentary beyond the introduction, really gives the feeling that you’re hearing the truth.
July 18, 2024
Beginning Again was incredibly powerful, and makes me want to read more oral history storytelling. Having studied archival practices in college, I was impressed by how each narrator's voice was maintained from interview to text. It contains narratives of movement within and migration to Appalachia; I was particularly moved by Sohaila's chapter. The book is both informative and engrossing, and I definitely recommend it!
August 23, 2024
A must read.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews