If the Creek Don't Rise: A Novel

(Paperback)

Available Formats

Publishing Details

Classifications

Physical Properties

Description

In a North Carolina mountain town filled with moonshine and rotten husbands, Sadie Blue is only the latest girl to face a dead-end future at the mercy of a dangerous drunk. She's been married to Roy Tupkin for fifteen days, and she knows now that she should have listened to the folks who said he was trouble. But when a stranger sweeps in and knocks the world off-kilter for everyone in town, Sadie begins to think there might be more to life than being Roy's wife. As stark and magnificent as Appalachia itself, If the Creek Don't Rise is a bold and beautifully layered debut about a dusty, desperate town finding the inner strength it needs to outrun its demons. The folks of Baines Creek will take you deep into the mountains with heart, honesty, and homegrown grit.

Reviews

"Every page of Leah Weiss' debut, If the Creek Don't Rise, has a pulse as fierce and unyielding as its Appalachian setting. Told through an ensemble of narrators, men and women of all ages bound by the inescapable power of place and belonging, it is a lush exploration of the darkest rooms in the human heart, and the brightest fires of the human spirit. Weiss' remarkable gift for language left me breathless, and her characters, distinctive and unapologetically-human, will haunt me for some time." - Erika Marks, author of The Last Treasure
"[A] striking debut." - BUSTLE
"Writing with a deep knowledge of the enduring myths of Appalachia, Weiss vividly portrays real people and sorrows. A strong, formidable novel for readers of William Faulkner and Cormac McCarthy." - Library Journal
"A fascinating, gripping portrait of the interconnected and often unseen ways people help each other... an immersive and deeply emotional reading experience especially satisfying for readers who love richly drawn characters and a strong sense of place." - NPR
"Weiss's inspiring debut novel is steeped in atmosphere, ingenuity and heart...an engaging page-turner." - Shelf Awareness
"In this tender but powerful debut, Weiss paints both the bright and the dark in the lives of her fictional Appalachian community's denizens." - Publishers Weekly
"Part gothic, part romance, part heartbreaking Loretta Lynn balladWeiss' tale is a beguiling, compelling read." - Kirkus Reviews
"This one nearly broke my heart. With deeply human charactersI will not easily forget, Weiss captures the fierce pull of desperation and the formidable power of hope. An impressive debut from a talent to watch...." - Kathleen Grissom, author of the New York Times bestsellers The Kitchen House and Glory Over Everything
"...tender but powerful debut...highlighting Weiss's considerable characterization skills." - Publishers Weekly
"Weiss' tale is a beguiling, compelling read." - Kirkus Reviews
"...masterful use of language....Weiss' novel is a great suggestion for fans of the Big Stone Gap books, by Adriana Trigiani, and Mitford series, by Jan Karon." - Booklist
"Like Daniel Woodrell's 'hillbilly noir' novel Winter's Bone - adapted into a tremendous backwoods thriller starring a then unknown Jennifer Lawrence - Leah Weiss's Appalachia-set fiction debut unfolds like a dark, gripping alt-country ballad. " - Yahoo!
"...fascinating, gripping... an immersive and deeply emotional reading experience especially satisfying for readers who love richly drawn characters and a strong sense of place" - NPR

Author Bio

Leah Weiss is a Southern writer and novelist born in North Carolina and raised in the foothills of Virginia. Her debut novel, If the Creek Don't Rise, will be released in August of 2017. Her short stories have been published in The Simple Life magazine, Every Day Fiction and Deep South Magazine. She retired in 2015 from a 24-year career as Executive Assistant to the Headmaster at Virginia Episcopal School. She now pursues writing full time.