04/27/2026 Guest Reviews by Kerry E.B Black: SMOTHERMOSS By Alisa Alering
- Candace Nola
- 4 hours ago
- 2 min read
Today, we have another guest review from local Pittsburgh author, Kerry E.B. Black! Check out her thoughts on her most recent read below!
SMOTHERMOSS
by Alisa Alering
Set in the Appalachian Mountains during the 1980’s, SMOTHERMOSS by Alisa Alering follows a family of women, focusing primarily on the young sisters. Because of their poverty and “otherness,” both girls are ostracized by their peers. The older of the two caregivers for her elderly grand aunt and her pet rabbits, and she works, giving her paycheck to her mother. She also has an “invisible noose” that hampers her, an “invisible” friend she meets at work, and a closeted sexuality she’s dying to explore.
The younger is an adventurous, brave new teen obsessed with Russians, Nuclear War, and Rambo. She’s intent on finding a murderer on her mountain. She’s inspired to make mysterious, hand-drawn prognostication cards. (Think of them as tarot cards with creatures like “The Worm King” as the characters.) Both young ladies (and it’s implied their progenitors) are uniquely connected with their mountain home, and they possess a psychic kind of magic.
The writing is descriptive and lovely, incorporating the magical elements by almost making the mountain itself a character in the narrative. Much of the tale focuses on character development, with the mysterious and magical woven through, but coming into play predominately at the end. I enjoyed the chapter tiles and illustrations throughout.
“Bristles with dark magic. . . . equal parts gruesome and gorgeous and otherworldly.”―The New York Times Book Review
“This beautifully strange book of the mountains is alarming and inspiring."―Samantha Hunt, author of The Unwritten Book
Winner of the Great Lakes Colleges Association Fiction Award
Finalist for the 2024 Big Other Book Award
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More about Kerry E.B. Black
Kerry E.B. Black writes from an over-stuffed little house situated along a fog-enshrouded river in the land where Romero's Dead roamed. Her children think she's dull, and their dogs agree, but the family cats, Poe and Hemingway, feel differently. The felines find a kinship with their nocturnal buddy and encourage Kerry to write.
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