When These Mountains Burn
| Author | David Joy |
|---|---|
| Genre | Crime fiction |
| Published | 2020 |
When These Mountains Burn is a 2020 novel by David Joy.
Plot summary
[edit]Raymond Mathis, a 70 year old ex-United States Forest Service employee, has recently become a widower. His adult son Ricky is addicted to drugs and is kidnapped by dealers who ransom him to Raymond.
Background
[edit]The novel is set during the 2016 Southeastern United States wildfires, the drug epidemic in the United States,[1] and the encroachment of coyote populations.[2] It is portrays the erosion of mountain culture in North Carolina and the reclamation of Cherokee culture in the 21st century.[3]
Reception
[edit]The novel received positive reviews from critics.[4][5] Kirkus Reviews praised its "memorable characters, deft plotting, and an attention to detail".[6] Tod Goldberg of USA Today called the novel "a snapshot of small-town America at a fracture point, when the least of the concerns is the fire that could consume everyone, all at once."[7]
References
[edit]- ^ Gallimore, Jason (2020-09-23). ""When These Mountains Burn": Addiction, Love, and Revenge". Southern Review of Books. Retrieved 2025-05-17.
- ^ Minick, Jeff (2020-10-01). "The Lives of Others: David Joy's When These Mountains Burn". Smoky Mountain Living. Retrieved 2025-05-17.
- ^ "Addiction Erodes Appalachian Culture In David Joy's Latest, 'When These Mountains Burn'". BPR. 2020-08-20. Retrieved 2025-05-17.
- ^ "When These Mountains Burn by David Joy". www.publishersweekly.com. Retrieved 2025-05-17.
- ^ When These Mountains Burn | Bookreporter.com.
- ^ WHEN THESE MOUNTAINS BURN | Kirkus Reviews.
- ^ Goldberg, Tod. "Review: 'When These Mountains Burn' a brutal crime novel and snapshot of small-town America". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2025-05-17.