Money in the Mountains: The Cultural Trauma of Appalachia

by Rayelle Davis

Appalachia's misery is caused by generations of colonial exploitation
The United States is in a state of decline—a reality decades in the making. At the thin end of the wedge sits Appalachia, one of the nation’s most deprived regions, mythologized by outsiders and misunderstood the world over.

Embedded as a therapist within this community, Rayelle Davis frames the addiction, suicide, and “diseases of despair” that plague the region as a consequence of cultural trauma, exploitation, and systemic neglect. Her work is a searing exploration of generational adversity and a powerful indictment of the psychological abuse of the American Dream.

Davis reveals a profound truth: Appalachian trauma is colonial trauma. As in exploited nations abroad, everything of value—from wealth and health to life itself—is extracted by a distant elite. This courageous book exposes the predatory systems of power and challenges everything we think we know about identity, sovereignty, and the actual cost of inequality in America.

In a time of extreme political polarization, Money in the Mountains is not a requiem for Appalachia, but a manifesto for collective healing.

Genres: Nonfiction, History

160 pages, Paperback

Published June 20, 2026

Reviews

[carson]

This ended up being about the author’s own experiences more than I thought it would. I was expecting more of a deep dive into the different issues plaguing Appalachia instead it was more of a basic overview framed through the authors eyes. Nothing very profound, but still a fine read.

[libby]

Eloquent and biting and so very important. Current, clear-eyed perspective on Appalachia today and yesterday… Definitely a little bit repetitive but her points bear repeating.

[Kelly]

Being from Appalachia , Mingo county WV , born and raised IN WV . I found this book interesting. A lot of information. I didn't agree with some of it. It was interesting to hear that Appalachia is studied in ways in college. WV being the only state fully in Appalachia I think we have our struggles. We have been taken advantage of. The politics here are very different I think from the rest of the world. The coal mines not only raised my dad but me and it's raising my sons. There is no industry that provides like they do. Our men and some women do give their bodies and minds to provide for their families. It takes a special type of tough to work these mines. The people here are strong and we know how to survive. It's definitely not enough. It would be great to have better jobs and higher pay here. What would be sacrificed. Our mountains are like no other. The mines do disrupt the mountains. But the thing people miss is they make these mountains passable the roads left behind are loved by the people. We take the roads to hunt , for recreation, to forage. And the mines allows families to survive . It's the best business we have . It's a well paying job for people that can't afford education for a career. By afford I mean a lot make just over the amount to qualify for financial aid. Some can't afford the time because they need to help their families now , so they go to the mines. For people that have went without their whole lives and they finally get a job in the mines , they feel like they have won the lotto. Yes the distrust is definitely here. I wish there were better solutions to the poverty here. I wish big pharmaceutical companies were held accountable for the drug epidemic here. The destruction from outsiders has ripped our families apart. I have lived and witnessed the pill pushing doctors that got a lot of good miners hooked on the very drugs they swore was safe. My dad being one of them . Our youth is suffering now horribly from the drug epidemic. Kids living with struggling grandparents. Grandparents and parents struggling with substance abuse . WV needs help this new generation needs help. The kids and young adults are suffering not only poverty but neglect . There is no hope or help in site. The only industry I see coming into our area is rehabilitation centers. That keep those addicted for about a week . The patients come from all over . Then they get turned out or they just up and leave the rehab centers. They are then on our roads seeking drugs, then pushing drugs , committing crimes. We have homeless now. They are the addicts leaving the rehab centers. Most are not locals. There needs to be another way. It's like they are shipping the addicted to our little towns. Those addicts are now having to survive the elements here it's not fair to the towns and not fair to the addicts. My mind is all over the place right now. There's so much this little book made me think about.

[Robby May]

It's hard to evaluate this book as I'm not sure if the author has tried to produce a quasi academic work (considering she's a Ph.D. student) or a standard non-fiction work. Either way, I think it fails in both respects. I'll be up front and say that I'm from the area the author writes about and lives in, and I think, based on what she writes, we're close to the same age. I find books on Appalachia to be so interesting, because even though I've been a nearly lifelong resident, I still find the area fascinating and have so many questions. That said, I don't think this book brings anything new to the table and is really just a restatement of what is already out there. The author makes a lot of claims, but never backs them up with any research. There are a few pages of references at the end of the book but they are not tied to anything specifically. I think this book probably could be good, as the author could explore the topics about Appalachianthat are brought up in the specific context of Western Maryland, but this is  really really rough draft that needs a lot more research and support. If this is your first book you've read about Appalachia then you may enjoy it. If you're looking for a deeper understanding, or ideas that are well thought out, this isn't it. 

[Natalia Pì]

Would be 3.5 if Goodreads allowed half points.

Interesting read, occasionally a little repetitive – I feel like they could have shaved off 30 pages by not repeating certain concepts about the US system basically abusing people, practically causing collective trauma in rural and economically disadvantaged areas over and over.
I already agreed with the author's opinions, though. Perhaps this repetition will drive the point home for a more general, All-American, best-country-in-the-world conditioned audience (I feel a lot of people outside the US don't need as much convincing, as was my case😅)

Still, I enjoyed reading the perspective of a psychotherapist from Appalachia who has grown up within a certain kind of conditioning, works inside the care system, and is critical of both the conditioning and the system in question (and academia!) in a constructive manner.
Extensive bibliography at the end, too.

[Black Bibliophile]

It got a bit repetitive throughout the book, but the author made excellent points about how systemic abandonment crafted a community, I would read this alongside "Dying of Whiteness".

[Todd]

An enlightening discussion of our confusion as to why working-class voters are divided and misunderstood. I can't think of a more concise argument than this book.

[Abby]

Not everything needs to be a book! Some things can be a sub stack article. That being said, I enjoyed the authors perspective on an area I have loved my whole life

[John Frederick]

I had a chance to hear author Rayelle Davis speak at Rebellion Books in Bedford, Pennsylvania (a great book store in their historic downtown) and enjoyed hearing her insights. The book is even better, intertwining stories of personal struggles of folks near her home in Cumberland, Maryland with her own insights and the history of economic, labor and environmental exploitation. (I highlighted so much, I had to change highlighting markers half way through the book.)

Her basic premise is that this exploitation of Appalachia has not only devastated the environment but the people who live and work there. "Outside corporate interests colonized Appalachia for its resources... Colonization causes collective trauma and it's how our entire country began... The colonizers were narcissistic, rich white men who had the power to encode their beliefs into our institutions and make them American values." (Page 31) "It's psychological abuse at the collective level, perpetuated by the federal government and big business." (Page 33)

As a licensed therapist, Davis came to treat many scarred by this colonized place and came to realize how dominant a role the system in which they were trapped played in their widespread struggles. Appalachia and its people have been used up and cast aside and it would seem America is not averse to that approach elsewhere. "Appalachia is not an aberration. It is a preview of what happens when the ruling class no longer benefits from our labor." (Page 131)

This is not a long book but its message is profound and important. Unfortunately, the politicians and policy makers who most need to read it will not likely want to be confused by the facts.