R.K. Brislin, Atheist in Appalachia: Nonbelief in Rural America. Astute Coyote LLC (independently published), 2023. ISBN: 9798385959662.
The book is organized into 8 chapters. At 74 pages, this is a relatively short treatise to read. The specific focus on Appalachia is not something we see often when it comes to atheism. For some readers, there may be lessons and encouragement if they are doubters and/or atheists stuck in a rural area where you are judged by which Christian church you attend.
However, the book suffers from that same sense of superiority that atheists tend to display. They've embraced science, reason, logic, and the religious are basically retrogrades that still believe in fairy tales. The author here may be a bit more polite about. If you've read other writings by prominent atheists, you've already read the basic arguments presented here. In some cases, such arguments do get aggressive. This author is no exception. His chapter on being vegan really hits readers over the head with the evils of eating meat. Therein lies a key issue with the book and atheists in general. They can be just as militant, aggressive, preachy, and judgemental as any Christian preacher.
In the end the book for me was just OK, but I can see where it may give comfort to folks who doubt seeking some affirmation and encouragement to leave the old religion. Libraries in the region and in rural areas may want to add the book to their collections, in part just to add a different point of view.
2 out of 5 stars.
Qualifies for the following 2024 Reading Challenge:
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