The Spirit of the Mountains by Emma Bell Miles
This is arguably the seminal book in Appalachian Studies. It is undoubtedly the first comprehensive overview of a distinct Appalachian sub-culture, published in 1905. Emma Bell Miles is one of the most compelling figures of our region. Born in 1879, she moved to Walden’s Ridge near Chattanooga from Rabbit Hash, Kentucky, as a child when her father took a teaching position there. She was home-schooled and married a local man who was unable to support their family well. Her poetry, short stories, nature books, and journals have been published as well as this book.
Hardcover
Knoxville: University of Tennessee, 1975