Snakeroot and Cohosh
In 1950s eastern Kentucky, Eva Hoskins flees her abusive marriage for a new life in the tiny mountain town of Helton, where she’s hired as a medicinal plant guide. When her husband, Luther, tracks her down, she fights to reconcile the love she once felt for her high school sweetheart with the cruel man he became.
His arrival threatens all she gained. He claims to be a changed man and wants her back – but she fights to assert her independence, uncertain of his intentions. Are his promises possible? When Luther reconnects with his brother and mother, opening a door to his past, Eva recognizes the boy she fell in love with. As they grow closer, they face the dark shadows of his childhood. Can love survive violence, or are some wounds too deep?
For fans of Ron Rash and David Joy, Snakeroot and Cohosh is the tale of a young woman who relies on her instincts and wit for survival in a dangerous world of poverty and rural isolation. Set against the rugged beauty of Appalachia, this is a story of courage, resilience and the healing power of community.
Copyright 2026 Cathy Schieffelin
What People Are Saying
Snakeroot & Cohosh takes rural Kentucky and spins it into a character as real and textured as Eva herself. Appalachia is dressed with frost, wood smoke, and medicinal roots drying on the rafters, with the rhythm of evening fiddle sessions pulling readers into a working landscape of both commerce and kinship. Schieffelin shows us what strength looks like in a woman who has been drained emotionally with a sobering physical history written into her body. Appalachia provides shelter and healing, but also secrets across the generations. Very highly recommended.
~ Jamie Michele for Readers’ Favorite
Snakeroot and Cohosh present a finely drawn setting against which domestic abuse, gender constraints in rural Appalachia, and the possibility of change take place. The setting breathes with authenticity, from coal-dusted mining towns to misty hollers, clapboard churches, and general stores that give a vividly rendered Kentucky landscape. Schieffelin honors Appalachian culture without exoticizing it, integrating bluegrass music, quilting patterns, and plant wisdom into the identities of the characters. This is a beautifully written story about how love, paired with accountability, can heal even the most broken relationships.
~ Meg McKinnon for Book Commentary Book Review
Copyright 2026 Cathy Schieffelin
Wildflowers Press 
Leave a comment