"These eleven stories blend gravity and humor to depict late 20th century rural North Carolina life, including African American women protagonists who encounter love and relationships, mental illness, racism, and, especially among Jehovah's Witnesses' faith"--Provided by publisher.

"The Web and the Root features the three initial sections of the The Web and the Rock, widely considered to be the book's strongest material. A prequel to You Can't Go Home Again, it is the story of George Webber's momentous journey from Libya Falls, North Carolina, to the Golden City of the North--offering vivid, sometimes cutting depictions of rural pleasures and small-town clannishness while exploring boundless urban possibility and the complex,...