Their government painted them as ignorant hillbillies, then took their land. Now read the story of these Virginia mountain families, for the first time as historical fiction. Bee Livingston is a nervy, teenage beauty whose beloved father's sudden death in a snake charming accident has left her alone with her abusive mother. Her one salvation is Miles, the big-city photographer who promises escape and a life full of the adventure she craves. But when Bee is caught in a dangerous cat-and-mouse game with a government man who takes her family's land and won't stop until he claims her too, it may be Torch, the boy she grew up with on the mountain, who becomes the man she needs. Based on the true story of the hundreds of families who were forced from their Blue Ridge Mountain homes to make way for Shenandoah National Park in the 1930s, Go Down the Mountain is a tale of dispossession, coming of age, and love. Named one of the seven best indie novels of 2019 by Kirkus Reviews. 2019 NYC Big Book Award Distinguished Favorite Go Down the Mountain is the perfect storm of humor, hope, and heartache for characters living in the Virginia Hollow. Battle's writing is funny and sharp, with a Southern twang. The voice carried throughout the text is superb; readers will be enthralled by the members of this small mountain town. Battle blends historical fiction, comedy, romance, and coming-of-age into a totally unique storyline. Spunky narrator Bee and her escapades will not be easily forgotten. Readers will rally behind Anabelle "Bee" Livingston; the story's first-person narration allows for an up-close-and-personal look at her life. Every supporting character in the story has a distinct personality. --The BookLife Prize The world that Battle creates is unnerving and enchanting in equal measure, and always utterly beguiling ... A vivacious, absorbing, and accomplished debut. The novel opens with a letter from Bee Livingston to her 3-year-old daughter, Amelia, intriguingly stating that Amelia has been raised to believe that the wrong man was her father. By way of explanation, Bee shares her life story so that when Amelia is old enough, she can judge what kind of man her biological father was, but she adds a warning: "You ought to know there are some downright ugly secrets in this story about your own kin and your mama to boot." Bee's story begins in "the Hollow," the impoverished Blue Ridge region in Virginia where she was raised. Born Ada Anabelle, she was nicknamed "Bee" by her father, as she was always "buzzing around looking for...trouble." When she's still young, her father is killed when a religious snake-handling show goes tragically wrong. The girl is left in the care of her mother, but their relationship is like "oil and water." The state government, in the shape of the repugnant Mr. Rowler, is poised to seize property in the area. Bee's mother has plans for her daughter to marry the government man--but Bee has her eyes on Miles, a big-shot government photographer, or perhaps Torch, a boy who grew up with her "on the mountain." Battle's storytelling will draw readers in from the opening page: Why is Bee writing her daughter this letter--and who's Amelia's real father? The novel draws, in part, on real-life events; in the 1930s, Blue Ridge neighborhoods were indeed cleared to make way for Shenandoah National Park. Battle spends some time re-creating the atmosphere of the "now-vanished" area. Narrator Bee is a straight talker with an easy wit and a wry opinion on everything. When discussing Torch, for instance, she notes, "We came up like brother and sister but once I sprouted hooters, he got it in his head he wanted things to change." The author effortlessly captures the timing and tenor of Appalachian speech patterns, and she conjures a world that may be unfamiliar to many, where the Hollow folk sing ballads and pass quart jugs of "white mule" ("that's what us mountain folks called whiskey"). Readers are also introduced to unusual characters, such as Ruth Evers, described by Bee as a "kind of goddess...of wild and helpless things," who makes medicine for the community using mountain plants, such as "prince's pine and deadly nightshade," and secretly keeps stillborn babies in mason jars. --Kirkus Reviews, recipient of the prestigious Kirkus Star Meredith Battle is a native Virginian who lives with her husband, son, dog and ducks in a 200-year-old house in the Virginia Piedmont, a short drive from the Blue Ridge Mountains. She visits Shenandoah National Park, the setting for her debut novel, as often as she can. She is currently working on her second novel.