The Foursome by Christina Baker Kline

June 18, 2026

The Foursome by Christina Baker Kline

After touring Europe and the large cities of North America, celebrated conjoined twins Chang and Eng Bunker decided to settle down in a small town in North Carolina. They soon bought land, built a fine house, and opened a general store. Wealthy and educated, the only things missing from their lives were wives and children. They met Adelaide and Sarah Yates, a pair of sisters from a local family with a questionable history. Addie was fascinated by the brothers and immediately decided to marry Chang. She convinced her sister that marrying Eng was the only way to redeem past mistakes and the only way that Addie would be able to marry Chang.

Eng and Chang Bunker were the first pair of conjoined twins to find international fame. Born in Siam (now Thailand), they were the source of the now-obsolete expression Siamese Twins. Their lives were well documented, and the two sisters who married them were distant cousins of the author. Not only did Chang and Eng marry, they went on to father 21 children (!) between them. After their deaths, an autopsy determined that they were joined at the liver, and it would have been impossible to separate them during their lifetime. Today this type of surgery would have been possible and most conjoined twins are successfully separated. I highly recommend this fascinating look at two unique families and the times they lived in.

Chang and Eng Bunker

Dirtbag Queen by Andy Corren

February 17, 2025

Dirtbag Queen by Andy Corren

Corren's irreverant memoir of Renay, his outrageous Jewish redneck mother who raised six kids (sort of) by herself after she split from her husband, isn't like any other memoir you've read. Everyone in their town near Fort Bragg knew Renay, manager of the local bowling alley, gambler and party girl, collector of strippers, card players, bowlers, and other strays who needed a place to sleep for the night. While Renay may not have excelled at cooking, keeping house, or hanging onto money, she lived life to the fullest.

Kings of Coweetsee by Dale Neal

August 20, 2024

Kings of Coweetsee by Dale Neal

Former schoolteacher and recent widow Birdie Barker Price is the docent of the rarely visited Coweetsee County Historical Society. One day, Birdie arrives home from work to find a ballot box from the contested 1982 sheriff's election on her front porch. Not only is the box on her front porch, it is full of uncounted ballots. When Birdie opens the box, she releases a flood of corruption, crime, and passion, all hidden under the guise of a quiet country town.

Dark times in small town America, with all the small-mindedness that expression conjures. The themes remind me of John Hart or Greg Iles: corruption, politics, revenge, old crimes, crimes against women, prejudice. While this was all right, you should read John Hart's Down River if you haven't already - he is a far superior writer. I'm not a big fan of politics, so this one didn't tick the boxes for me. The title comes from the idea that each town or county is a sovereign kingdom with individual rulers, that is encouraged by the isolation of small towns in Appalachia. 

Many thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

Appalachia

The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins

October 23, 2023

The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins

When she was a toddler, Ruby McTavish went missing from a family picnic in the mountains near their North Carolina home. Missing for almost a year, there was always speculation whether the child who was returned to the family was really Ruby. Almost 70 years later, Ruby's adopted son gets an email telling him that it's time for a reckoning and he needs to come home.

Psychological suspense with multiple plot twists. Just when you think you know what's going on, there is a twist in the story. Also, all of the narrators are unreliable! I like this novel much more than the author's previous book The Villa. If you liked The Maid's Diary with its twisty plot, multiple narrators, and dual timeline, you'll enjoy Hawkins' upcoming book.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Edelweiss and the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

North Carolina mountains