Haint Country: Dark Folktales from the Hills and Hollers edited by Matthew R. Sparks and Olivia Sizemore
University Press of Kentucky (October 2024)
Reviewed by Rowan B. Minor
Haint Country: Dark Folktales from the Hills and Hollers is a new book of over 50 chilling short stories adapted, collected, and edited by Matthew R. Sparks and Olivia Sizemore. These local legends center around haints, boogers, UFOs, and supernatural happenings within the Appalachian region. Separated into five sections, the otherworldly retellings in Haint Country are accompanied by unsettling watercolor illustrations by co-author Olivia Sizemore. These beautifully eerie designs are reminiscent of those by Stephen Gammell in Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, and the legends and lore will remind you of an adult version of the Short and Shivery series. Haint Country also corrects misinformation and harmful stereotypes about rural folklore and Appalachia as a whole. Authors Sparks and Sizemore have expanded the traditions within Appalachian storytelling and invite their audience to participate in its culture.
Sparks and Sizemore have written these tales in a way that preserves the storyteller’s vernacular and allows the audience to feel like they are hearing the speaker in person. In “Tales from Bonnyman Coal Camp” (told by Mike Overbee), the narrator speaks directly to the reader, and “You’d Think There’d Be Blood Somewhere” (told by Keisha Morgan) has been passed down from generation to generation. Several accounts, while still haunting, are softer in tone and might be suitable for a younger audience as well as adults, like “The Dance” (told by the late Carl “Junior” Fox Jr), an original recount of classic ghost lore. Other tales are more graphic and gruesome, tapping into body horror, such as “Babies under the Floorboards” (told by Nathan McDaniel), which starts with a mother feeding her children to pigs.
Most stories are very short, around one to four pages long, which might pique the interest of a younger generation that is very media-driven and might be more accustomed to taking in information with short video reels. However, this might be a drawback for those who prefer consuming longer materials. There are a few stories that are longer in length, up to twenty pages, so there should be a little something for everyone. Regardless, these tales feel well-told and fully developed.
Haint Country is thoroughly-researched, educational, and entertaining. Not only are these tales bewitching, but the overall aesthetic of this book is enticing as well. While these stories are original, several have been passed down through the speaker’s personal ancestral history. Through this collection, Sparks and Sizemore pay homage to these storytellers by keeping their tradition of oral lore alive and preserving it for years to come. Haint Country is sure to become an instant classic for those who love rural horror, supernatural stories, and Appalachian folklore.
