Hill Women
Appalachian women face issues that are all too common: domestic violence, the opioid crisis, a world that seems more divided by the day. But they are also community leaders, keeping their towns together in the face of a system that continually fails them. With nuance and heart, Chambers uses these women’s stories paired with her own journey to break down the myth of the hillbilly and illuminate a region whose poor communities, especially women, can lead it into the future.
“Women in Kentucky’s Appalachian community come into focus in lawyer Chambers’s powerful debut memoir, which aims to put a human face on a stereotyped region. . . . This is a passionate memoir, one that honors Appalachia’s residents.”
— Publishers Weekly
“A family memoir that celebrates the inspiration of strong women within a rural culture most often characterized as patriarchal . . . [Chambers tells] stories that illuminate the hardworking spirit and flashes of hope among the populace, the women in particular.”
— Kirkus Reviews
“In this age of political divisions, Hill Women offers a loving, luminous look at an often misunderstood and undervalued segment of our society.”
— BookPage
“Cassie Chambers’s intimate portrait of the lives of rural mountain women will complicate everything you think you know about Appalachia. From their quiet stoicism to their often overlooked fortitude, Chambers’s characters—herself included—are cobbled from grit, empathy, strength, intellect, and hope. Their tenuous belief in a system that sometimes protects them and sometimes betrays them offers a nuanced and necessary feminist perspective often lacking in our national conversations. Chambers picks up where Sarah Smarsh ended, with a beautiful, authentic, and honest portrayal. This is a stunning and expansive book, and it will stay and stay with you, as it has me.”
— Rachel Louise Snyder, author of No Visible Bruises
“Cassie Chambers tells the story of the women in the mountains of Kentucky who nurtured her, as well as her own journey to become a fierce defender of Appalachian women. This is a book that teaches us about service and gratitude, family and the tenuousness of belonging, and the power of education, loyalty, and home.”
— Steven Stoll, author of Ramp Hollow
“A fascinating view of an often misunderstood population of America and an uplifting ode to the strong women at its core, whose unique stories and sacrifices inspire . . . a book to be celebrated!”
— Cea Sunrise Person, author of North of Normal