3 Review(s)

A pagan of the hills is set in the isolated and untamed Kentucky mountains and explores the stark realities of rural existence alongside the deep tension between wilderness and encroaching civilization. The story centers on a determined young woman who must face the aftermath of a devastating spring flood while tending to her gravely injured father. With the family’s livelihood threatened and no one else to turn to, she is forced into a role of leadership and endurance, challenging the traditional expectations of femininity and strength. The book also portrays the tight-knit but often divided community of mountaineers around her, whose interactions reveal a tapestry of values rooted in both independence and suspicion of outsiders. As the woman pushes against established norms and asserts her agency, she becomes a symbol of resilience and transformation. The early chapters suggest an unfolding journey of emotional and physical confrontation, shedding light on broader questions of identity, belonging, and the price of progress in an environment shaped by hardship and loyalty.