A beautiful cover for a beautiful book.

I enjoyed reading about a different subject matter and the illustrations were both beautiful and informative. The book was so great at telling the history and I loved it was in shorter paragraphs with clear heading made reading it a breeze.

Thank you for letting me enjoy this book.

This book is so BEAUTIFUL. The illustrations are captivating, the page design is great, and the chapters were broken up well. I've always been totally fascinated by Appalachian folklore and culture, and this book gave a fascinating overview of the magical side of that. It looks at practitioners, medicine, occultism and more. If you're into the mystical or Appalachian folklore, give this a read!

Mountain Magic is a beautifully illustrated collection of the history and presence of magic and folklore in the Appalachian Mountains. Rebecca Beyer, an Appalachian ethnobiologist who was born in Western Pennsylvania and still lives in the mountains, dedicates the book to the diverse people who occupy the land and teaches readers that the folk magic of Appalachia is ever present but difficult to see. Beyer notes that the Appalachian culture has been long misunderstood and badly represented by outsiders and lovingly restores faith in the “old Wild Thing” that shrouds the hills and valleys with magic.

The book is divided into sections including The Calling (a breakdown of the different types of Appalachian witches), Mountain Medicine (an overview of the landscape and folk knowledge of the region), Occult Uses of Appalachian Herbs (such as blackberry, mandrake, goldenrod, and ginseng), The Workings (charms and curses), and Seasonal Lore and Mountain Astrology (a look at the rotating weather and movement of the heavens). Each section is accompanied by beautiful illustrations, recipes, and anecdotes about Appalachian life.

Mountain Magic is full of surprises for the average reader. Beyer explains that Appalachian witches are often practitioners of Christianity who traditionally doctor their families with herbs and charms. She shares that mountain medicine has been heavily influenced by native cultures along with the arrival of Spanish, African, and Scotch-Irish immigrants. She teaches that blood, which can be high, low, thick, or thin, is the most important part of the body when it comes to staying healthy and living in balance with the community and environment.

Although residents of Appalachia are reluctant to share their folklore with outsiders, Beyer argues that Burn Whisperers (who can take the heat from a burn) and Blood Stoppers (who can heal wounds) have always existed in the mountains. She explains the gendered rules of magic, reminds readers that before there was a pharmacy, there was a forest, and shares healing recipes for wild salad and spice bush tea.

I found this short book utterly fascinating and would like to read more books in the Modern Folk Magic series. Mountain Magic skillfully creates a portrait of a place that is steeped in mystery, and readers will come away with a new appreciation for the magic found in the world around them.

This book presents a well-written, interesting, and wonderfully informative cultural understanding of Appalachian folk magic practices. Growing up adjacent to these mountains (near enough to be curious, far enough that I didn’t get to experience much), this book gives an interesting glance into the cultural practice of the people who live in this vast and old mountain range.

I really enjoyed this book. I read a lot of Fantasy books that include witches, so it was nice to read something that gave descriptions. This booked helped me understand how moon cycles helped with cures, and I can apply to the fantasy books I am reading. I really enjoyed this book and would recommend to anyone who needs more information on witches.

Rebecca Beyer lifts the veil of mystery surrounding Appalachian folk magic and provides a glimpse into this unique world of Yarb People, Water Witches, Burn Whisperers, Granny Women, and Conjure Folk. A blend of European magic, West African folklore, and Native American herbal knowledge, Appalachian folk magic is both a fascinating and powerful by-product of the landscape and the people who populated the Smoky Mountains, and it's still practiced today.

Mountain Magic is insightful and interesting in that much of the information has been passed down through generations, influenced by different eras and cultures, but remains largely unchanged in its core beliefs. Beyer's writing is easy to read and offers good explanations for concepts or items that may not be as familiar to readers outside of Appalachia. The illustrations compliment the information provided without distracting from the writing. Overall, this guidebook is a great introduction to a unique culture and the folklore and magic that has helped to shape it.

I really love the book! It’s simple enough for anyone to read while also giving context. I really enjoyed learning more information and the differences in practice.

This book reminded me of some of the many traditions I had forgotten growing up. It is excellent and gives a lot of ideas as to using nature to heal and predict what may come. Nicely illustrated and containing lots of simple procedures reading this has given me lots to look for on my hikes and discuss with family. One of the many traditions is the persimmon tree reference. The fruit of this tree was used to predict the coming weather for winter. It makes sense, trees have to prepare for the coming climate as they are part of a system that takes care of itself. This book is interesting as well as practical in its works.

This is not the kind of book I typically read, but decided to take a chance on an ARC because it sounded interesting. I did really enjoy the book - it gave enough background to history, also credit to historical elements (not just from Appalachia but where some of the things discussed came from African cultures). The book was also well broken into different areas like history/terms, the setting and traditions, and then breaking up the use of herbs, charms & curses, seasonal lore and mountain astrology. Here's an example about one of the herbs referred to - especially liked the Cayenne Pepper notes because the comments about red headed women as well as if you get the pepper in your eye you can just place your head in the hen house to be cured.

I'm so happy I found this book! The illustrations are beautiful and there is so much good information in this book.

Some things you will find in here:
✨ Appalachian folklore
✨ Mountain medicine
✨ SO MUCH herb info!
✨ How to make your own bottles and use charms
✨ Mountain astrology and planting by the moon cycles

I could tell so much research went into writing this book and I truly appreciated it. I need a physical copy of this one so I can keep referring back to it!

As a mountain mama myself, (blue ridge VA) I have many different Appalachian witchcraft and folklore books on my shelf. This is a such a good one for my collection and I really enjoyed reading it. Best of all, I even learned a lot of new information!

Thank you NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group - Wellfleet Press for the opportunity to read and review this book!

Not what I was expecting but a super interesting read!
I specially liked the chapter on the herbs! I truly had not idea about it so I found it enlightening! -

Mountain Magic serves as part history lesson and part guidebook. It was a fascinating read about the history of the people of Appalachia and their connection with a long history of magical tradition. The author seemed well positioned to discuss these things as someone who has their own connection with that land, and their writing certainly came across as knowledgable. My only real critique was that it was so short! With beautiful illustrations throughout, I would have loved to read more about some of the traditions the author mentioned and the practices which seemed to influence so much of their lives.

This was a NetGalley Review.

What an amazing book about the magic and healing herbs of the Appalachian Mountains. This book covers the lore of the mountains, the different types of magic practitioners', the healing herbs and plants indigenous to the area. Add to that the beautiful illustrations, and this is a lovely read.

Thank you Netgalley and Quarto Publishing Group – Wellfleet Press for the ARC!

Wow! So much research has gone into this book, making it a font of information about Appalachian folk magic, healing, and customs. Even the art is inspired—the perfect aesthetic compliment to the book.

Through extensive research and documentation, Beyer has helped preserve the history and traditions of the Appalachian people.

A magical book celebrating a magical region.

I’m a big fan of Rebecca Beyer’s previous work, so I was extremely excited for this new book! The illustrations are gorgeous, and I love how accessible the author has made learning about Appalachian folk magic. As a baby witch, I enjoy learning about various regional folk practices and cultures, and this book provided a lot of information that I hope to incorporate into my own practice here in Europe. The mixture of storytelling narratives and practical advice made this an interesting and easy read.

iniziato a leggere perché cercavo un'introduzione non troppo "manualistica" alla magia e al folklore (e dopo essermi innamorata del podcast “Old Gods of Appalachia” appena ho visto questo libro mi ci sono fiondata lol), e ha raggiunto tutte le mie aspettative.

Pur non essendo esageratamente specifico in ambito di termini o spiegazioni è pieno di nozioni interessanti e informative sull'argomento, il tutto scritto in modo semplice e accompagnato da illustrazioni molto belle.

Insomma, sono molto soddisfatta di questa lettura.

This is such an adorable little book. The illustrations are beautiful and the tales inside are lovely little pieces of history. Very cozy and quick educational read.

Thank you NetGalley, publisher, and author for this advanced reader's copy.

On a professional level, this book will definitely circulate living in the heart of the Appalachian Mountains. On a personal level, I LOVED this book. I practice different types of witchcraft and fell in love with the book, artwork, and layout!

Mountain Magic is a love letter to the world of Appalachian myths, customs and folk traditions. It offers the reader insight into its rich history and takes them on a short tour of its world of "magic". It’s not a book about witchcraft per se as there are no spells in it (sorry to disappoint) and it focuses more on herbalism and ancient customs. So, a perfect gift for that one friend who dreams about having their own garden.

I picked this book up solely because I was curious. I have read books about witchcraft before, but nothing has ever stuck with me. This one has placed itself in an odd spot—it wasn’t in-depth enough for "practitioners" and it wasn’t descriptive enough for newbies. I struggled with a few sentences because I couldn’t understand what the author meant. What exactly is a cross covered in salt? How am I tying that string exactly? Since a badly executed charm will probably doom me forever, I need clear instructions.

Weird as I am, I read the entire book front to back, and I don’t think the structure makes sense. The book starts with a list of types of practitioners and then goes on to explain the history of Appalachia. Why? History usually comes first. There are also a few inconsistencies and repetitions (which probably happened when chapters were moved). Oddly, the author addresses the reader directly, which isn’t very typical for these "self-help"-types of books either.

The bottom line: a short guide to folk traditions in Appalachia with great illustrations; buy it for a friend

What a gorgeous book - beautifully illustrated, this will be stunning in print! Despite never having been to the Appalachians, this book really evokes the sense of it - wood carving, basket weaving, herbal remedies, dowsing and so much more of these activities call to me. I'm sure we retain some of the knowledge our ancestors had even if it wasn't passed down to us directly. This is a book I'll dip in and out of for reference and it's so pretty it would make a great coffee table book!