Ann Pancake Boeken

The collection features characters deeply tied to their land, navigating themes of love, loss, and redemption amidst environmental and social challenges. Stories include retired miners grappling with industry betrayal, familial strife over fracking leases, and children overcoming addiction. An urban woman's encounter with the mysterious leads her to confront her beliefs about life beyond the tangible. Through these narratives, the collection poignantly addresses poverty, class struggles, and the sacredness of the world, reflecting on the impact of environmental degradation.

The collection of short stories delves into the themes of cultural change and class conflict, vividly portraying life in contemporary West Virginia. Through diverse characters and their experiences, the narratives reflect the complexities of social dynamics and the impact of shifting cultural landscapes on individuals and communities. Each story offers a unique perspective, capturing the essence of a region undergoing transformation.

Set in present day West Virginia, Ann Pancake’s debut novel, Strange As This Weather Has Been, tells the story of a coal mining family— a couple and their four children— living through the latest mining boom and dealing with the mountaintop removal and strip mining that is ruining what is left of their mountain life. As the mine turns the mountains to slag and wastewater, workers struggle with layoffs and children find adventure in the blasted moonscape craters.Strange As This Weather Has Been follows several members of the family, with a particular focus on fifteen-year-old Bant and her mother, Lace. Working at a “scab” motel, Bant becomes involved with a young miner while her mother contemplates joining the fight against the mining companies. As domestic conflicts escalate at home, the children are pushed more and more outside among junk from the floods and felled trees in the hollows— the only nature they have ever known. But Bant has other memories and is as curious and strong-willed as her mother, and ultimately comes to discover the very real threat of destruction that looms as much in the landscape as it does at home.