Appalachia in the Hunger Games…coming soon!

This year, McFarland and Company will be publishing my book Appalachia in the Hunger Games: Real-Life Roots of District 12, a project that has been literally over a decade in the making. When I began teaching The Hunger Games in my college composition courses, I knew I wanted to further explore the ways Suzanne Collins expertly weaves in the real culture and history of the mountains I know and love. I had the opportunity to create a chapter on the subject for the Salem Collection’s Critical Insights on the Hunger Games volume, but I knew there was much more to explore. Plagues and hurricanes slowed down my progress on the project, but those delays allowed me to delve into the prequels, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes and Sunrise on the Reaping, which include fantastic material that I am grateful to have been able to include. God’s timing is always perfect, so I am delighted that the book is in the capable hands of the marvelous folks at McFarland!

Stay tuned for more updates! In the meantime, here is the cover! Isn’t it wonderful?