As a catastrophic drought plagues the United States, Vicki Truax, a lonely Baltimorean, inherits land outside a remote Appalachian town. Amid the quirky townsfolk, she finds herself at home for the first time in her life. Vicki meets and befriends Alaric, an eccentric local who supplies townsfolk and moonshiners alike from his own meager water source. But danger lurks; a merciless businessman with a lucrative well attempts to seize her land, and water thieves roam her land at night, attempting to tap an aquifer. When Vicki discovers a small spring on her land, fears of a water war force her to keep the knowledge to herself. But Alaric’s source runs dry, and a poorly planned raid ends in the collapse of Steen’s well. Now Vicki’s land is the only source of water, and she’s left to decide who gets water and who dies. The Long Man's Pillow comes from a Cherokee concept that is brought to life in a story not about Native American legends and interests, but modern-day global crises. A terrible nation-wide drought is not the ideal time to inherit rural land, but Vicki's inheritance not only arrives at an inopportune moment, but serves to isolate her in a strange community at a time of a national crisis that reverberates onto her personal land ownership challenges. As Vicki grapples with adversity from disparate arenas, from another's attempt to grab her land to emerging water rights issues that place her in the center of a storm of special interests and ecological issues, readers receive a realistic story of global climate change issues that come home to roost in individual choices and struggles. Julie Castillo creates a compelling tale as Vicki is forced to confront the underlying impact of her land and its attraction to others. The decisions she is forced to make move her well outside her comfort zone of action and reaction, changing her personality as well as her values and perceptions: "I'm not myself. The Vicki Truax I know is far too much of a coward to do what I'm doing. The sensible Vicki thinks things through. Whoever I am now isn't even sure of what she's going to do next." As explosions both emotional and physical play out, Vicki finds not only her courage, but new convictions about the role her land and choices will play, not only in her own future, but in the community around her. Castillo spices Vicki's encounters with a wry mix of humor and enlightenment that enhances events with Vicki's first-person revelations: "Irony of ironies, when I lived in Baltimore, I could be anonymous whenever I wanted, and when I slid the bolt to my apartment door, I could count on being left alone. Now here, on the side of a West Virginia mountain, where you'd think there'd be hardly anyone around, I can't get a moment's peace." The resulting saga is gripping and thought-provoking. It elevates the genre and perception of 'cli-fi' as being more immediate and real than the usual focus on impossibilities. Vicki's experiences with a changing world are all too possible. This makes The Long Man's Pillow an engaging attraction for readers who see the lasting effects of environmental change evolving in all kinds of community scenarios and individual experiences. Libraries and readers seeking compelling stories that juxtapose high-octane action with thought-provoking intrigue and character revelations will find The Long Man's Pillow excels in a sense of realistic drama and life changes. This makes it perfect for book club and group discussion, as well as individual reader pursuit. -Diane Donovan, Senior Reviewer, Midwest Book Review A lifelong story-lover and professor of anthropology, Julie Castillo has a passion for novels and films that explore social problems and global issues. She gravitates toward post-apocalyptic, dystopian, and survival stories that explore the human experience and reveal what’ s best about humankind. She currently lives as a digital nomad with her husband and two dogs.