Leah Middleton, Magic from the Hilltops and Hollers. Newburyport, MA: Weiser Books, 2025. 9781578638802.
I recently finished reading this book that takes you deep into Appalachian roots, magic, and folklore. The author, a practitioner of Appalachian folk magic and a traditional witch, takes us on a regional tour where we learn the lore and its magic.
The book is arranged as follows:
- A foreword by Rebecca Beyer, author of the book Wild Witchcraft. (Worldcat link).
- A note to the reader.
- An introduction.
- Seven chapters. Topics covered include an overview of the region and its history, witchery, folk healing, and a sampling of regional tales.
- Epilogue.
- A list of references. You may want to consider some of the sources on this list for further reading.
This may be one of the nicest books I've read this year. It is accessible and easy to read. It often feels like you are sitting in a rocking chair on a porch listening to an elder share their experiences, their magic, and the knowledge they wish to pass on. The author starts with a regional overview of the people and land. By now I've read a few books about Appalachia, and the regional overview for outsiders is pretty much a requirement. The author manages to make it an interesting read. After that she delves into various folk and magical topics.
This is a book that draws you in, and you just keep on reading. You can tell the author has a passion, a devotion, and respect for the region, the land, its people, and the practices.
I'd say if you need an entry point into the region's folk witchery and magic, this book can provide a start. If you are just curious about the topic, want to read some stories, and learn more, this may be for you as well. If you are like and wish to learn more as a transplant, this book can be for you.
Overall, I highly recommend this book, especially if you have local interest. I do recommend it for public and academic libraries. My library ordered it, mainly for the regional interest. For me, it was worth reading to learn about some traditions in a land I call home now.
5 out of 5 stars.
Additional reading notes:
The author tells us this is not an academic book. Rather it is. . .
"This is more of a love letter to the mountain magic that survives here and an exploration of how it came to be, and how it can be applied today in a modern folk practice. Understanding the people's history is essential to understanding the foundations of any folk magical practice" (10).
From her tone and how she writes you can just feel that love. And I've heard that elsewhere and learned it, how in order to understand a people's magic and/or understanding a people in general you need to study and understand their history. I suppose that is one thing I am doing in reading books like this: seeking to understand the people and their history.
In mountain traditions, Christianity, in any number of forms, is not far behind, a lesson I've learned by now. The author now adds, or rather reminds us of animistic beliefs that weren't really left behind when Christianity came in, beliefs that the land is a living and breathing spirit. Practitioners, many of them, adapted accordingly:
"The spiritual connection between the practitioner, the land, and their Lord established a dual religion-- a belief I like to refer to as mountain faith, where Christianity and animism meet" (67).
Purpose of the book:
"The purpose of this book was not only to continue the conversation of these healing traditions, folkways, and magic, but also to provide a glimpse into Southern Appalachia's history by exploring the context of the ever-growing diverse culture. To dig into the depths of why and how" (213).
Some books from the references list I would like to read, for the TBR list:
- Casas, Starr, Old Style Conjure: Hoodoo, Rootwork, and Folk Magic. Weiser 2017.
- Harris, Jessica. High on the hog: a culinary journey from Africa to America. Bloomsbury, 2012.
- Hutchenson, Cory Thomas, Fifty-four devils: the art and folklore of fortune-telling with playing cards. 2013.
This book qualifies for the following 2026 Reading Challenge:
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