Something in These Hills

John M. Coggeshall is professor of anthropology at Clemson University and author of Liberia, South Carolina: An African American Appalachian Community.

"Historians could learn from Coggeshall's approach . . . [and] beyond the field of anthropology, this book is appropriate and useful for historians, sociologists, students of the South and Appalachia, and those 'residents' desiring to learn a bit more about their neighbors and perhaps themselves."--East Tennessee Historical Society "Anyone looking for a nuanced and thoughtful approach to [the] complicated issues shaping modern Appalachia would do well to read this book."-North Carolina Historical Review "Coggeshall build[s] on the established ethnographic literature with original interview data, which not only confirms earlier findings but also adds detail and subtlety. . . . [A] valuable addition to the ethnographic literature on southern Appalachia."--American Ethnologist "This is a well-written, well-documented study of locals' feelings about and attitudes toward family land and how it is often considered family itself, both physically and metaphorically. . . . The author's mastery of the relevant literature in Appalachian studies and anthropology is impressive as is his ability to situate his ethnography within these fields, making this a significant contribution to both disciplines."--CHOICE "Well-organized, well-researched, and thoughtfully engaging. Academics specializing in the field will find the conceptual distinction between residents and inhabitants quite useful for further research and the personification of land thesis theoretically provocative. Those new to Appalachian studies will find the book a nice introduction to the field and the region. In sum, Something in These Hills is a book that has something for everyone who has an interest in Appalachia and related issues."--Contemporary Sociology