Exploring Appalachian Young Adult Literature: The Works of Kate Pearsall

Stephanie Branson is a fierce advocate for young adult literature and authentic writing pedagogy, with a focus on fostering student engagement through diverse text selections. With a career rooted in literacy leadership, she has served as a high school English teacher, district-level learning facilitator, and curriculum writer in one of Texas’s largest public school districts. Stephanie earned her undergraduate degree from Louisiana State University in the Geaux Teach English cohort and her graduate degree from the University of North Texas in Literacy Curriculum and Instruction.

Exploring Appalachian Young Adult Literature: The Works of Kate Pearsall
Stephanie Krolick Branson

Until recently, my knowledge of the regional literature of Appalachia in the United States had been limited to a few blockbuster hits that, by and large, have been criticized for their portrayal of regional identity and socioeconomic issues. That was until the author Kate Pearsall unexpectedly fell into my lap with her current duet of novels, Bittersweet in the Hollow and Lies on the Serpent's Tongue.

I am currently sitting on my Independent School Districts’ (one of the largest in the state of Texas) Literature List Review Committee. Our charge, led by our Secondary Language Arts Administrator, is to review and recommend teacher submissions for YA titles to be placed on our “Whole-Class Approved Novels” lists for each grade level. Here is where I first learned of Pearsall’s works and fell in love with her portrayal of the Appalachian Region. 

Kate Pearsall’s storytelling weaves her experiences with her mother’s bedtime stories about growing up in West Virginia and the intersection of Scottish-Irish folklore and magic. These tales are truly magical transporters that plant the reader right into the heart of secluded Appalachia- where magic, moonshine, and the power of sisterhood abound. 

When I first picked up her debut book Bittersweet in the Hollow, I was not sure what to expect. The back cover copy (or blurb) promises the reader a magical folk-laced mystery, a genre-mixing tale of a group of female family members possessing unusual talents spanning three generations. All of this is set within an authentic portrayal of a small town in the Appalachian mountains. A town’s complexities that reach far beyond what reader’s know to be stereotypical; a place that transcends the common poverty-stricken, drug-laden, hillbilly-esque picture that many of us associate with the region due to the common texts we know. 

Bittersweet in the Hollow offers a rich narrative landscape for students to consider how identity, power, and voice function within a community. Enveloped within a seemingly who-dun-it mystery, this first novel in the duet follows the protagonist, Linden, as she not only struggles through a sequence of traumatic events, but also walks with her as she discovers the power within herself, the roots of her family, and uncovers power through sisterhood. When viewed through the lens of feminist criticism, Linden’s story becomes a powerful exploration of how women’s voices can often be marginalized and silenced—and how reclaiming those voices, and that power, becomes an act of resistance. Students can use the events in this story to explore deeper questions about individual equity, personal agency, and how traditional views of the patriarchal system further systemic expectations in our society today. 

​I love this debut novel for a buddy read or student book clubs in the classroom. This text naturally invites discussion and connection through its overarching themes and ideas as well as the intrigue built around the folklore of the Moth-Winged Man, naturopathy, and mysticism. Its atmospheric setting and slowly-unraveling mystery around a current murder and a cold case keep readers engaged, while its character-driven focus offers plenty of opportunities to pause, reflect, and explore motivations, choices, and relationships. All of which are perfect for open-ended conversations for students to lead independently with each other. 

In a classroom setting where student voice, choice, and engagement matter more than ever, Kate Pearsall’s works of Bittersweet in the Hollow and Lies on the Serpent's Tongue stand out as compelling texts that bridge traditional literary merit, high-interest texts, and student accessibility. Kate Pearsall’s works not only bring the often-overlooked and often-stereotyped Appalachian region into the spotlight with nuance, reverence, and respect, but it also offers students a chance to examine the multi-layered themes through a lens that is both magical and deeply human. Whether used for independent study, book clubs/literature circles, or buddy reads, this novel has the potential to spark rich, student-driven dialogue that builds empathy, critical thinking, and a broader understanding of inclusive storytelling.