Amy Greene Boeken

Annie Clyde Dodson and her three-year-old daughter Gracie are among the last holdouts in a tiny town, standing in the way of progress in the Tennessee River Valley. Just a few days before the Long Man river is scheduled to wash Yuneetah off the map, Gracie disappears one stormy evening. Did she simply wander off into the rain, or was she taken—perhaps by the mysterious drifter who has returned to his hometown on the verge of its collapse? Set against the backdrop of real-life historical events, Long Man is a searing portrait of a soon-to-be-scattered community brought together by change and crisis, and of one family facing a terrifying ticking clock.

The story unfolds around Myra Lamb, a wild girl with enchanting blue eyes, growing up on Bloodroot Mountain under the protective gaze of her grandmother, Byrdie. The legacy of "the touch," a mystical gift, intertwines with themes of magic, madness, and generational secrets. When John Odom attempts to control Myra, it leads to devastating consequences that shatter lives. The narrative offers a vivid portrayal of rural life, blending love, loss, and haunting dreams, reminiscent of the dark atmosphere of Wuthering Heights.