In this nuanced queer fantasy set amid the Appalachian Mountains in Virginia, the last witch of the Ridge must choose sides in a clash between industry and nature.
After her best friend dies in a coal mine, Benethea ‘Bennie’ Mattox sacrifices her job, her relationship, and her reputation to uncover what’s killing miners on Kire Mountain. When she finds a half-drowned white woman in a dirty mine slough, Bennie takes her in because it’s right—but also because she hopes this odd, magnetic stranger can lead her to the proof she needs.
Instead, she brings more questions. The woman called Motheater can’t remember her true name, or how she ended up inside the mountain. She knows only that she’s a witch of Appalachia, bound to tor and holler, possum and snake, with power in her hands and Scripture on her tongue. But the mystery of her fate, her doomed quest to keep industry off Kire Mountain, and the promises she bent and broke have followed her a century and half into the future. And now, the choices Motheater and Bennie make together could change the face of the town itself.
Genre: Fantasy
After her best friend dies in a coal mine, Benethea ‘Bennie’ Mattox sacrifices her job, her relationship, and her reputation to uncover what’s killing miners on Kire Mountain. When she finds a half-drowned white woman in a dirty mine slough, Bennie takes her in because it’s right—but also because she hopes this odd, magnetic stranger can lead her to the proof she needs.
Instead, she brings more questions. The woman called Motheater can’t remember her true name, or how she ended up inside the mountain. She knows only that she’s a witch of Appalachia, bound to tor and holler, possum and snake, with power in her hands and Scripture on her tongue. But the mystery of her fate, her doomed quest to keep industry off Kire Mountain, and the promises she bent and broke have followed her a century and half into the future. And now, the choices Motheater and Bennie make together could change the face of the town itself.
Genre: Fantasy
Praise for this book
"An exhilarating adventure that shakes the foundations, pure Americana at its core, Motheater is absolutely riveting from beginning to end. A masterful portrayal of the magic of Appalachia." - K Ancrum
"With Motheater, Codega weaves a darkly enthralling yarn steeped in loss and rage, deftly spinning Appalachia's past, present, and its rich folkloric tradition into something much more than the sum of its parts." - Gretchen Felker-Martin
"With a voice as unique and haunting as the Appalachian setting, Codega delivers an enchanting story of witchcraft, nature and industry, and the power of a love that can move mountains." - Hester Fox
"A haunted church, a living mountain, an Appalachian witch called from a sleep lasting more than a century--this is a unique tale of love and magic, of a curse to be undone and an environmental disaster to be averted. Motheater will enchant all readers of witch stories!" - Louisa Morgan
"What an amazing read! Richly textured and full of bright, beating hope, Motheater is a captivating debut." - Rory Power
"When an Appalachian reader says a book feels like home, Motheater is what they mean: magic tied deep in the mountains, history written on the bones, everyday folks facing down titans. This debut is absolutely beautiful." - Andrew Joseph White
"With Motheater, Codega weaves a darkly enthralling yarn steeped in loss and rage, deftly spinning Appalachia's past, present, and its rich folkloric tradition into something much more than the sum of its parts." - Gretchen Felker-Martin
"With a voice as unique and haunting as the Appalachian setting, Codega delivers an enchanting story of witchcraft, nature and industry, and the power of a love that can move mountains." - Hester Fox
"A haunted church, a living mountain, an Appalachian witch called from a sleep lasting more than a century--this is a unique tale of love and magic, of a curse to be undone and an environmental disaster to be averted. Motheater will enchant all readers of witch stories!" - Louisa Morgan
"What an amazing read! Richly textured and full of bright, beating hope, Motheater is a captivating debut." - Rory Power
"When an Appalachian reader says a book feels like home, Motheater is what they mean: magic tied deep in the mountains, history written on the bones, everyday folks facing down titans. This debut is absolutely beautiful." - Andrew Joseph White
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