Bearwallow: A Personal History of a Mountain Homeland - Hardcover

Jeremy B. Jones earned his M.F.A. in nonfiction writing from the University of Iowa. His essays have appeared in numerous literary magazines and have twice been named "Notable" in Best American Essays. He teaches at Western Carolina University.

"'Me in place and the place in me,' Seamus Heaney declares in his poem 'A Herbal.' That idea is at the core of this deeply satisfying memoir of one man's exile from and return to his Appalachian homeland. Jeremy Jones shows the complexity of a region and a people too often reduced to the crudest of stereotypes, and by doing so gains even greater self-awareness. Bearwallow is a book to be savored." -Ron Rash, author of Serena and Nothing Gold Can Stay

"In prose vivid and fresh, Jeremy Jones gives us an intimate and in-depth study of contrasting worlds--Latin America, the Blue Ridge Mountains, old families, new Hispanic arrivals, the pull of home, and the need to escape...It is a story of both teaching and learning, of roots, and of unexpected discovery. Bearwallow is a delight to read." -Robert Morgan, author of The Road from Gap Creek

"His narrative is haunting and evocative, full of rich details and natural scenery..." -Shelf Awareness

"Jones changes the way we talk about Appalachians...an artful exploration of voice, place, and belonging." -The Iowa Review

"The remarkable thing about Bearwallow is its seamless weaving of time, place, and blood. Jeremy Jones's craftsmanship in telling this story of generations and geography and his reverence for both are a beauty to behold. A fine debut of a fine writer--this is a wonderful book." -Bret Lott, author of Dead Low Tide