Strange Folk

In Dyer’s rich debut, a woman reckons with her family’s legacy of Appalachian mountain magic. After Lee Carnell splits from her husband, Cooper, she and her adolescent children, Meredith and Cliff, return from California to Craw Valley, the homestead she left 20 years earlier. Under the guidance of her grandmother Belva, who is respected by many of the locals as a witch woman, Lee reacquaints herself with “the power of the land,” which her family and others have channeled for healing purposes. The magic has a vengeful side, too, as Lee learns after Belva casts a spell meant to thwart the lust of a man named Joseph Hall who was caught ogling Meredith’s friend. After Joseph is found dead under mysterious circumstances, Lee confronts her estranged mother Redbud for answers about the scope of the magic’s power. Dyer raises the stakes further when Cooper shows up to try to lure the kids away and Lee rekindles a high school romance. The ease with which Lee and others master the magic feels contrived, but Dyer fortifies the tale with a well-timed surprise and gratifying reconciliations between her characters. It’s catnip for fans of homespun tales of rural America. Agent: Alexandra Machinist, CAA. (Aug.)

Correction: An earlier version of this review incorrectly stated that the story takes place in the Ozark mountains.