Books › The Hum and the Shiver
The Hum and the Shiver
349 pages
A haunting blend of Appalachian folklore and veteran trauma, where healing is found in the lost songs of an enigmatic mountain people.
What it feels like
This atmospheric fantasy weaves the gritty reality of a wounded veteran's homecoming with the quiet, enigmatic magic of the Smoky Mountains. The narrative unfolds at a steady pace, wrapping the reader in a haunting, mountain-shadowed mood where ancestral secrets and restless spirits linger in the valleys. It feels deeply rooted in its setting, using music and folklore as a lens to explore profound spiritual wounds and the difficult journey of healing from war. The prose balances the somber weight of trauma with the lyrical beauty of hidden cultural heritage. It is a perfect read for those who appreciate contemporary fantasy that feels both intimately personal and steeped in the quiet mysteries of Appalachian myth.
- Mood
- haunting
- mountain-shadowed
- mystical
- somber
- Tone
- enigmatic
- melancholic
- earnest
- atmospheric
- Pace
- steady
- Themes
- healing from war · cultural heritage and music · spiritual wounds · ancestral mysteries · returning home
- The writing
- Lyrical and grounded, blending the gritty reality of a returning veteran with the ethereal qualities of Appalachian folklore.
- The arc
- Moves from a place of spiritual disconnection and trauma toward a tentative reclamation of self and ancestral magic.
- Who it's for
- Readers who love contemporary fantasy that roots itself deeply in regional folklore, music, and the quiet struggles of returning veterans.
Content notes
- war trauma
- physical injury
- death of family members
- hauntings
About the book
"No one knows where the Tufa came from, or how they ended up in the mountains of East Tennessee. When the first Europeans came to the Smoky Mountains, the Tufa were already there. Dark-haired and enigmatic, they live quietly in the hills and valleys of Cloud County, their origins lost to history. But there are clues in their music, hidden in the songs they have passed down for generations.... Private Bronwyn Hyatt, a true daughter of the Tufa, has returned from Iraq, wounded in body and spirit, but her troubles are far from over. Cryptic omens warn of impending tragedy, while a restless "haint" has followed her home from the war. Worse yet, Bronwyn has lost touch with herself and with the music that was once a part of her. With death stalking her family, will she ever again join in the song of her people, and let it lift her onto the night winds? "--
Description from Open Library.
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