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All That's Unseen: An Appalachian Memoir
Not yet published
Expected 28 Jul 26In her luminous debut, Emilee Hackney offers both a love letter to and a reckoning of the place that made her—a story of losing her faith, finding her way back to her Appalachian home, and discovering what endures
Born and raised deep in the hollers of the Appalachian Mountains, Emilee Hackney knew little beyond the ridgelines and coalfields of southwestern Virginia. As an eighth-generation Appalachian, her childhood was steeped in the stories of her grandparents—tales of the coal mines’ brutal grip and the way the land, both beautiful and unforgiving, never quite let anyone go. At fourteen, Emilee meets Sam, a senior at her high school, who offers her a glimpse at a promising future together. But as they begin attending services at Deliverance Christian Church as a couple, Emilee is thrust into the radical realm of Pentecostalism. In a culture where marriage at nineteen isn’t uncommon, Emilee is engaged to Sam. Eager to make her relationship work, she embraces the extremist doctrines of the religion, submitting herself fully to God, to Sam, and to a life of repentance. But what she doesn’t yet know is the man she plans to marry is not who he claims to be.
Years later, Emilee finds herself isolated from friends, family, and her own sense of truth. Wracked with shame and self-doubt, she reaches a breaking point. On the verge of spiraling out of control, she applies to Harvard in a stunning act of defiance and hope; against all odds, she is accepted. From the magisterial mountains of Tazewell to the storied halls of Cambridge, Emilee begins the arduous process of reinventing herself and her relationships with her home, faith, and values against the backdrop of the divisive 2016 election. All That’s Unseen is Emilee Hackney’s fiercely honest memoir about spiritual entrapment, hard-won liberation, and the courage to reclaim her voice after she had been taught to stay silent.
Born and raised deep in the hollers of the Appalachian Mountains, Emilee Hackney knew little beyond the ridgelines and coalfields of southwestern Virginia. As an eighth-generation Appalachian, her childhood was steeped in the stories of her grandparents—tales of the coal mines’ brutal grip and the way the land, both beautiful and unforgiving, never quite let anyone go. At fourteen, Emilee meets Sam, a senior at her high school, who offers her a glimpse at a promising future together. But as they begin attending services at Deliverance Christian Church as a couple, Emilee is thrust into the radical realm of Pentecostalism. In a culture where marriage at nineteen isn’t uncommon, Emilee is engaged to Sam. Eager to make her relationship work, she embraces the extremist doctrines of the religion, submitting herself fully to God, to Sam, and to a life of repentance. But what she doesn’t yet know is the man she plans to marry is not who he claims to be.
Years later, Emilee finds herself isolated from friends, family, and her own sense of truth. Wracked with shame and self-doubt, she reaches a breaking point. On the verge of spiraling out of control, she applies to Harvard in a stunning act of defiance and hope; against all odds, she is accepted. From the magisterial mountains of Tazewell to the storied halls of Cambridge, Emilee begins the arduous process of reinventing herself and her relationships with her home, faith, and values against the backdrop of the divisive 2016 election. All That’s Unseen is Emilee Hackney’s fiercely honest memoir about spiritual entrapment, hard-won liberation, and the courage to reclaim her voice after she had been taught to stay silent.
384 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication July 28, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
November 3, 2025
FANTASTIC memoir. Beautiful, harrowing, and thought provoking. I can’t wait for others to read this.
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May 5, 2026This felt like a non-fiction Demon Copperhead with a female protagonist.
Emilee’s memoir is beautiful and eye opening. It shows the humanity behind poverty and helped me understand why so many people in Appalachia felt drawn to Trump’s message.
Emilee’s memoir is beautiful and eye opening. It shows the humanity behind poverty and helped me understand why so many people in Appalachia felt drawn to Trump’s message.
April 20, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley and The Penguin Press for providing me with an ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.
All That’s Unseen is an outstanding debut and an engrossing memoir of growing up in Appalachia. Emilee Hackney is a talented writer and offers a nuanced and thoughtful portrayal of life in coal country and the dark underbelly of the evangelical church. The topics immediately piqued my interest and overall, I found this book to be very engaging and readable.
I can already see the parallels with this book and Hillbilly Elegy, a book that was pounced on by liberals desperate to understand the election of Trump in 2016, but which offers little in way of substantive “answers” and has been criticised for not being a true reflection of Appalachia and for Vance himself not belonging to Appalachia. Hackney seems to anticipate these parallels in her writing, insisting on her true Appalachian roots and, very understandably, wanting to protect the people of Appalachia from unfair stereotypes and blame for the outcome of the election.
It’s incredibly difficult to write a memoir that includes a topic (in this case, a place) that has become a political touchstone, and I think this memoir ultimately works best as a personal piece of work. When it tries to navigate into broader cultural, political, and religious conversations, it falls short a bit. For example, Hackney discusses her experiences taking a class at Harvard on Evangelicalism. She briefly describes the materials that are discussed in this class and how she personally relates to them, but doesn’t venture much further than this. In another excellent memoir I recently read, “A Well Trained Wife” by Tia Levings, the authors unravelling of the history and mythology of evangelicalism helps the reader understand some of the history around the movement and frames her own process of escaping the religion. In Levings’ memoir, her learning process is described in a way that is extremely personal yet instructional for the reader.
This next point is difficult to discuss in a fair and nuanced way, but it was a nagging question in my head while reading the book. Hackney never clearly articulates why she was accepted into Harvard after only having taken a few easy community college courses and having little in the way of personal ambitions beyond getting out of her small town life—or if she did they are not included in the narrative.
There are moments that suggest Hackney may have been viewed by Harvard as someone who could help broaden the institution’s understanding of Appalachia or contribute to its sense of diversity—paralleling, in some ways, the enormous attention given to Vance in the wake of Hillbilly Elegy. This observation doesn’t diminish Hackney’s intellect or accomplishments, rather, it raised a lingering question for me throughout the book, one that speaks more to the dynamics of elite institutions than to Hackney herself.
My final critique of the book is that I wonder if it needed to be published this early. Hackney is still extremely young, and profoundly honest memoir writing is not easy. Hackney writes with candor but I wonder what else would have emerged with additional time for introspection and more life outside of Appalachia and evangelicalism.
All That’s Unseen is an outstanding debut and an engrossing memoir of growing up in Appalachia. Emilee Hackney is a talented writer and offers a nuanced and thoughtful portrayal of life in coal country and the dark underbelly of the evangelical church. The topics immediately piqued my interest and overall, I found this book to be very engaging and readable.
I can already see the parallels with this book and Hillbilly Elegy, a book that was pounced on by liberals desperate to understand the election of Trump in 2016, but which offers little in way of substantive “answers” and has been criticised for not being a true reflection of Appalachia and for Vance himself not belonging to Appalachia. Hackney seems to anticipate these parallels in her writing, insisting on her true Appalachian roots and, very understandably, wanting to protect the people of Appalachia from unfair stereotypes and blame for the outcome of the election.
It’s incredibly difficult to write a memoir that includes a topic (in this case, a place) that has become a political touchstone, and I think this memoir ultimately works best as a personal piece of work. When it tries to navigate into broader cultural, political, and religious conversations, it falls short a bit. For example, Hackney discusses her experiences taking a class at Harvard on Evangelicalism. She briefly describes the materials that are discussed in this class and how she personally relates to them, but doesn’t venture much further than this. In another excellent memoir I recently read, “A Well Trained Wife” by Tia Levings, the authors unravelling of the history and mythology of evangelicalism helps the reader understand some of the history around the movement and frames her own process of escaping the religion. In Levings’ memoir, her learning process is described in a way that is extremely personal yet instructional for the reader.
This next point is difficult to discuss in a fair and nuanced way, but it was a nagging question in my head while reading the book. Hackney never clearly articulates why she was accepted into Harvard after only having taken a few easy community college courses and having little in the way of personal ambitions beyond getting out of her small town life—or if she did they are not included in the narrative.
There are moments that suggest Hackney may have been viewed by Harvard as someone who could help broaden the institution’s understanding of Appalachia or contribute to its sense of diversity—paralleling, in some ways, the enormous attention given to Vance in the wake of Hillbilly Elegy. This observation doesn’t diminish Hackney’s intellect or accomplishments, rather, it raised a lingering question for me throughout the book, one that speaks more to the dynamics of elite institutions than to Hackney herself.
My final critique of the book is that I wonder if it needed to be published this early. Hackney is still extremely young, and profoundly honest memoir writing is not easy. Hackney writes with candor but I wonder what else would have emerged with additional time for introspection and more life outside of Appalachia and evangelicalism.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This is a hard one to review, as I am not sure if I liked it or disliked it. All That’s Unseen – An Appalachian Memoir by Emilee Hackney is a new upcoming release, about her life growing up in the Appalachian community in Virginia and later attending Harvard.
While I found her story interesting and how she ended up going to Harvard is inspiring from all that she faced and went through. Parts of her story felt like a political play, other parts I feel like she didn’t tell the whole story and left some things not finished. I wonder if she has realized she was in a church cult and experience spiritual and physical abuse and manipulation. It definitely affected her, but I am not sure she has healed from it! Not even sure where she stands in her belief after finishing reading her story, it seems as though she walked away, though still struggling? There is definitely more to be told there, and maybe she will someday, maybe this book was wrote to early and she should of waited until a little older?
It is definitely a thought provoking story, with some good discussion from it. I made a few highlights from her story, I thought were interesting:
I’m an eighth-generation Appalachian, attached to the land by something more sacred, more mysterious, than mere blood and history.
I’m awed by the mountains. They are confining and comforting, ancient and noble. They radiate a soft old wisdom, as if they born at the very dawn of the world.
If there was anything truly strange about the mountains, it was that: you were never quite happy in them, and you were never quite happy beyond them.
I wouldn’t hear the phrase “prosperity gospel” until years later, but that was the core of Pastor Alan’s teaching. “Faith Healing” was another phrase I wouldn’t hear until much later, but I practiced it without knowing its name.
Without guilt, how could I know I was living within or outside God’s will?
Loyalty makes for committed, unbreakable bonds. It can also foster fear and discourage change.
In the end, I am left wondering, and I would love to see that she has healed and truly come to know Jesus as her Savior.
Many thanks to Netgalley for providing this book for review! Opinions are 100% my own! I did receive the product in exchange for this review and post.
While I found her story interesting and how she ended up going to Harvard is inspiring from all that she faced and went through. Parts of her story felt like a political play, other parts I feel like she didn’t tell the whole story and left some things not finished. I wonder if she has realized she was in a church cult and experience spiritual and physical abuse and manipulation. It definitely affected her, but I am not sure she has healed from it! Not even sure where she stands in her belief after finishing reading her story, it seems as though she walked away, though still struggling? There is definitely more to be told there, and maybe she will someday, maybe this book was wrote to early and she should of waited until a little older?
It is definitely a thought provoking story, with some good discussion from it. I made a few highlights from her story, I thought were interesting:
I’m an eighth-generation Appalachian, attached to the land by something more sacred, more mysterious, than mere blood and history.
I’m awed by the mountains. They are confining and comforting, ancient and noble. They radiate a soft old wisdom, as if they born at the very dawn of the world.
If there was anything truly strange about the mountains, it was that: you were never quite happy in them, and you were never quite happy beyond them.
I wouldn’t hear the phrase “prosperity gospel” until years later, but that was the core of Pastor Alan’s teaching. “Faith Healing” was another phrase I wouldn’t hear until much later, but I practiced it without knowing its name.
Without guilt, how could I know I was living within or outside God’s will?
Loyalty makes for committed, unbreakable bonds. It can also foster fear and discourage change.
In the end, I am left wondering, and I would love to see that she has healed and truly come to know Jesus as her Savior.
Many thanks to Netgalley for providing this book for review! Opinions are 100% my own! I did receive the product in exchange for this review and post.
May 14, 2026
This memoir is such a gift—Emilee’s gorgeous writing, her unflinching candor, the generosity in her storytelling, for the way she both exposes a perspective that is so underrepresented while refusing to flatten Appalachia into its stereotypes or into a sideshow. This is a debut that shines; it’s raw, emotional, and sensitive, and it’s reflective and beautifully wrought. Emilee’s story is distinct, but it is also telling of an American story that is often relegated to tales of woe, not told with love and nuance: a story of high control religion, of being working class in a failing economy, of a dysfunctional young relationship built on evangelical Christianity. This book will fill such a needed place on the shelf of American memoirs and I am so excited for it to make it out in the world.
For me, this book is especially a gift because I am lucky enough to know Emilee and to have walked part of this journey with her. We were two of a dozen transfers to Harvard in the fall of our sophomore year; a tiny cohort at a school where almost no one transfers in or out. It’s incredible to see that experience reflected back in Emilee’s writing, not through the curated lens of what we all showed one another in those awkward, early days when we were all struggling to prove we belonged at Harvard, but with the unvarnished reality.
I am far from an unbiased observer here, but this book was absolutely five stars. I highlighted half the book, struck over and over again by how beautiful and poignant it is. I can’t wait to see what Emilee writes next. Thank you so much to NetGalley and Penguin Press for a free eARC in exchange for an honest review.
For me, this book is especially a gift because I am lucky enough to know Emilee and to have walked part of this journey with her. We were two of a dozen transfers to Harvard in the fall of our sophomore year; a tiny cohort at a school where almost no one transfers in or out. It’s incredible to see that experience reflected back in Emilee’s writing, not through the curated lens of what we all showed one another in those awkward, early days when we were all struggling to prove we belonged at Harvard, but with the unvarnished reality.
I am far from an unbiased observer here, but this book was absolutely five stars. I highlighted half the book, struck over and over again by how beautiful and poignant it is. I can’t wait to see what Emilee writes next. Thank you so much to NetGalley and Penguin Press for a free eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy
Much of the book is written from the highly flammable intersection of faith, relationship abuse, misogyny, and mental illness. Emilee is an eighth-generation Appalachian, and her descriptions of her hometown and the local hollers where her grandparents live are both beautiful and unsentimental. This is Coal Country in the early 2000s, and she works at a local Subway, not in a mine, although economic scarcity is a real problem.
To me the questions raised in the first part of the book—in which God calls her to marry a guy who is eventually arrested for possessing child porn—are more compelling than those in the latter, in which she bounces from feeling like an exoticized fish out of water at Harvard to feeling like a resented fish out of water back home. Whether and how to leave the world that raised her is relevant to her personal journey (and everyone's, to some degree), but I wanted to know more about her bipolar diagnosis (maybe because her early symptoms clocked as scrupulosity OCD, and I'm an OCDer) and the problematic fact that church officials "never liked" her boyfriend, but still encouraged her near-miss teen marriage. It's also possible that I'm jealous she went to Harvard and got a book deal at a young age? Always a theme in my reading!
Oh, one thing that I found refreshing, having read many memoirs of childhood trauma (some of them wonderful): Emilee's parents are kind people with good heads on their shoulders. I appreciate that she depicts how the world can be dangerous even when you have a solid foundation.
To me the questions raised in the first part of the book—in which God calls her to marry a guy who is eventually arrested for possessing child porn—are more compelling than those in the latter, in which she bounces from feeling like an exoticized fish out of water at Harvard to feeling like a resented fish out of water back home. Whether and how to leave the world that raised her is relevant to her personal journey (and everyone's, to some degree), but I wanted to know more about her bipolar diagnosis (maybe because her early symptoms clocked as scrupulosity OCD, and I'm an OCDer) and the problematic fact that church officials "never liked" her boyfriend, but still encouraged her near-miss teen marriage. It's also possible that I'm jealous she went to Harvard and got a book deal at a young age? Always a theme in my reading!
Oh, one thing that I found refreshing, having read many memoirs of childhood trauma (some of them wonderful): Emilee's parents are kind people with good heads on their shoulders. I appreciate that she depicts how the world can be dangerous even when you have a solid foundation.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
The author grew up in Appalachia in southwestern Virginia. She describes the intense beauty of the surrounding mountains, the narrow hollers characteristic of the Appalachian countryside, and surviving through long, harsh winters. Missing from the narrative are the poverty, hopelessness, joblessness, and drug culture that often contribute to life in Appalachia, but that might actually be what the author intended. Her vivid descriptions and strong affection for the land where she was born, and had a hard time staying away from, give readers another perspective.
The author writes about her involvement in the Pentecostal religion, where members speak in tongues and are baptized in the Holy Spirit. She spent a great deal of time on that aspect of her life, as monumental as it was. I was happy to read she didn't marry and become a teenage mother. Not a fan of Evangelism, I almost stopped reading halfway through the book.
Her experiences at Harvard and moving to Boston, however, gave me renewed interest and enthusiasm for the rest of the book. Hackney's honesty about finding her way around a big city, fitting in with classmates very different from her, and embarrassment over her accent came across as authentic. After a few wrong turns and engaging with the right people, the author eventually finds her way and true vocation. I applaud her courage while being true to herself.
Thank you to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for this ARC.
The author writes about her involvement in the Pentecostal religion, where members speak in tongues and are baptized in the Holy Spirit. She spent a great deal of time on that aspect of her life, as monumental as it was. I was happy to read she didn't marry and become a teenage mother. Not a fan of Evangelism, I almost stopped reading halfway through the book.
Her experiences at Harvard and moving to Boston, however, gave me renewed interest and enthusiasm for the rest of the book. Hackney's honesty about finding her way around a big city, fitting in with classmates very different from her, and embarrassment over her accent came across as authentic. After a few wrong turns and engaging with the right people, the author eventually finds her way and true vocation. I applaud her courage while being true to herself.
Thank you to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for this ARC.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
I had really been looking forward to All That’s Unseen by Emilee Hackney. Having gone to college at Virginia Tech, I feel a strong connection to Southwestern Virginia and its beautiful mountains, and that sense of place does come through vividly in this memoir.
Hackney’s love for the region is clear, as is the difficult position she found herself in—defending her home while a student at Harvard. Some of her experiences there were genuinely painful to read, and her vulnerability is undeniable.
That said, this was a challenging memoir for me. I tend to look for some sense of closure, hope, or resolution in this genre, and I didn’t quite find that here. The narrative feels very immediate and raw, which at times made it difficult to process as a reader. I found myself wishing for a bit more distance or reflection, especially given the weight of the personal revelations shared.
I’ve since learned that Hackney later hiked the Appalachian Trail in honor of her father, and I couldn’t help but wish that journey—or even a hint of it—had been woven into the memoir as a thread of forward movement.
This is a deeply personal and emotionally intense read, and while I’m still grappling with my thoughts on both her experiences and reactions, I do appreciate the honesty she brings to the page.
Thank you to Penguin Random House for providing a physical ARC.
Hackney’s love for the region is clear, as is the difficult position she found herself in—defending her home while a student at Harvard. Some of her experiences there were genuinely painful to read, and her vulnerability is undeniable.
That said, this was a challenging memoir for me. I tend to look for some sense of closure, hope, or resolution in this genre, and I didn’t quite find that here. The narrative feels very immediate and raw, which at times made it difficult to process as a reader. I found myself wishing for a bit more distance or reflection, especially given the weight of the personal revelations shared.
I’ve since learned that Hackney later hiked the Appalachian Trail in honor of her father, and I couldn’t help but wish that journey—or even a hint of it—had been woven into the memoir as a thread of forward movement.
This is a deeply personal and emotionally intense read, and while I’m still grappling with my thoughts on both her experiences and reactions, I do appreciate the honesty she brings to the page.
Thank you to Penguin Random House for providing a physical ARC.
May 20, 2026
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy of All That’s Unseen. This story resonated with me as someone also from southern Virginia pushing back against religious systems. The portion when she talks about calmly learning and debating religion in an educational setting resonated so deeply with me. I was also raised in an extremely black and white world..you either believe in a faith and are saved or you don’t and are doomed. But learning about and respecting other religions and cultures is extremely enlightening and what the world and being a human is really all about.
I applaud the author for sharing her experience and hope this resonates with more in the evangelical community. I also appreciated her research into coal’s political backing and the exploitation of the people in Appalachia. I only wish they weren’t so blinded by hope and desperation (twice). I hope we get to hear more of the author’s story.
I applaud the author for sharing her experience and hope this resonates with more in the evangelical community. I also appreciated her research into coal’s political backing and the exploitation of the people in Appalachia. I only wish they weren’t so blinded by hope and desperation (twice). I hope we get to hear more of the author’s story.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This is an incredibly intimate and powerful story that takes you on a journey through the coal fields of Southwest Virginia as well as Harvard (and Boston). I was happy to receive an ARC of this book because I was also born in a coal mining town, but in West Virginia. We left when I was only 6 but continued to visit grandparents and relatives. I could see so many similarities with Emilee’s experience with the people she grew up with and their love of the only life they knew. It is amazing that after growing up in this insular life that she finds the courage to not only leave but to go to Harvard - which would be intimidating for just about any student. But she did it, and she stayed even when she suffered and came out the other side. After being exposed to education about other religions it allowed her to understand the church she loved and then hated. This was n excellent book and a quick read.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to NetGalley, publisher Penguin Random House, and the author, Emilee Hackney for an advanced digital copy of this book.
All That’s Unseen is a beautiful, deeply moving story about resilience, learning to trust yourself, and how tightly we’re tied to the places we come from. Emilee Hackney writes with honesty and courage about growing up in Appalachia, shaped by family, faith, and the land itself. As she says, “I’m an eighth‑generation Appalachian, attached to the land by something more sacred, more mysterious, than mere blood and history.” This is a bravely told story of breaking free without letting go of who you are or where you come from. I wish this debut author much luck and success, and recommend this book.
All That’s Unseen is a beautiful, deeply moving story about resilience, learning to trust yourself, and how tightly we’re tied to the places we come from. Emilee Hackney writes with honesty and courage about growing up in Appalachia, shaped by family, faith, and the land itself. As she says, “I’m an eighth‑generation Appalachian, attached to the land by something more sacred, more mysterious, than mere blood and history.” This is a bravely told story of breaking free without letting go of who you are or where you come from. I wish this debut author much luck and success, and recommend this book.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Emilee Hackney's memoir on growing up in Appalachia is one that is not to be missed. Emilee's life reflect's that of many young folks growing up in rural Virginia, however her's takes a fateful turn after walking away from an abusive religious sphere and pursuing a higher education outside of her homegrown roots. Overcoming self doubt, dark circumstances, and never wavering in her love for her Appalachian mountains is beautiful to watch from beginning to end. I hope this becomes the memoir that replaces "Hillbilly Elegy" on the shelves of bookstores, as it paints rural Appalachia for what it truly is--a special place that is buried in the bones of it's people, and to be revered for it's magnitude of hope. (One star removed for rehashing religious trauma in my own life)
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
While this memoir left some big life events hanging (not detailing them for spoiler purposes), it was beautifully written and offered a warm, thoughtful, yet unvarnished look at evangelicalism and the struggles of life in rural coal country.
The people in these pages make questionable decisions and take unfortunate turns as poverty, ignorance, and addiction grab hold. Still, the author’s perspective and authentic voice open the door for empathy and understanding. You’ll be rooting for her with every page turn.
Thank you to the publisher for this NetGalley sneak peek!
The people in these pages make questionable decisions and take unfortunate turns as poverty, ignorance, and addiction grab hold. Still, the author’s perspective and authentic voice open the door for empathy and understanding. You’ll be rooting for her with every page turn.
Thank you to the publisher for this NetGalley sneak peek!
Review of advance copy received from Goodreads Giveaways
This title will be released in late July.
It is the authors debut and describes her struggles with escaping a Christian fundamentalist church that could be described as a cult,and almost marrying a controlling pedophile.
Against all odds she applies to Harvard and is accepted, escaping Appalachia and it's abandoned coal mines, economic despair and drug abuse.
A very poignant story that reveals her love/hate
relationship with her roots.
It is the authors debut and describes her struggles with escaping a Christian fundamentalist church that could be described as a cult,and almost marrying a controlling pedophile.
Against all odds she applies to Harvard and is accepted, escaping Appalachia and it's abandoned coal mines, economic despair and drug abuse.
A very poignant story that reveals her love/hate
relationship with her roots.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Emilee captures the complexity of growing up in Appalachia. The beauty of the mountains, the resilience of the people, and the daily struggles each person faces. Loving, yet leaving, Appalachia is a tough but beautiful journey and she shares her story with vulnerability and honesty. Thank you Netgalley and Penguin Press for the opportunity to read this advance copy!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Wow. This book hit home to me since I was raised in an evangelical cult. I resonated with the questions she asked. The book starts off a bit slow, but increases in depth & thoughtfulness. I think it's worth reading again, too. (advanced reader copy, Net Galley).
Review of advance copy received from Goodreads Giveaways
A good first book from a new author. The feelings of anxiety, stress, not fitting in and feeling lost come through very strongly. I think she was very brave and I’m glad she made it through those hard times.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Emilee is one of the toughest and bravest people I've come across. Her story is raw, powerful, distinctly Appalachian, and she tells it unabashed. This book is an inspiration for telling our deepest truths.
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