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You, From Below
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.
- GenresFiction
53 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
February 24, 2025
Very short, not too sweet. The right amount of sweet I'd say. This is definitely a personal piece but one shared because it's very relatable, and if it isn't now you'd better hope it's relatable in the future. Better than the alternative I'd say. But when I finished it I wanted to read it again and that's probably a good sign. It's also a sign that it's surrealist so take that as you will. I liked it.
February 5, 2026
This book is poetry in prose form and a beautiful read. I savored the bizarre, sometimes unsettling characters that the main character meets and thoroughly enjoyed this read. This absolutely deserves a second and third read to fully appreciate the story. Would recommend, especially for someone looking for a lovely, quiet, but quick read.
June 13, 2026
I love the way this plays with form! Both the second person narration and also the kind of antihero’s journey, an everyman’s journey, which makes sense why it was written in second person. I had fun with all the mythical creatures that were conjured straight from EM’s imagination. This is an iconoclastic work.
March 31, 2025
"Em J Parsley has penned The Wizard of Oz for modern-day Appalachia." —Kristen Gentry
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.
Blurbed by Alisa Alering, William A. Wellman, and Kristen Gentry, quoted above!
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.
Blurbed by Alisa Alering, William A. Wellman, and Kristen Gentry, quoted above!
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews