The Storycatcher

Praise for
The Storycatcher

“A riveting tale of right, wrong, and vengeance. Restless souls (on Earth, as well as from the spirit world) can find peace only through justice, and at times, only by working together. Ann Hite writes brilliantly about the human condition—in this world and the next.”

—Amy Hill Hearth, author of
Miss Dreamsville and the Collier County Women’s Literary Society

“Transports you high atop Black Mountain, North Carolina, smack in the middle of a gothic tale so haunting and with characters and voices so authentic you’d swear you were living amongst them. Ann Hite’s ability to weave the reader through the pages of the story catches you off guard with each and every spooky twist. Impossible to put it down. Brilliant!”

—Lisa Patton, bestselling author of
Whistlin’ Dixie in a Nor’easter

“There is a powerful new Southern voice sweeping across the literary landscape, and it belongs to Ann Hite. . . . She is a born storyteller who has crafted a mesmerizing and haunting tale.
The Storycatcher
is one that you’ll want to put at the top of your reading stack and savor.”

—Michael Morris, author of
Man in the Blue Moon

“Steeped in lushly drawn landscapes and teeming with mystery,
The Storycatcher
is a beautifully rendered story of the journey for redemption and justice that drives the human heart, even beyond the flesh—and the knots of family we tie, and sometimes must untangle, along the way. I was utterly absorbed from the first, riveted and captivated, and no more able to leave the side of Ann Hite’s haunted characters than the ghosts that are leading them toward their impossible secret.”

—Erika Marks, author of
The Guest House

“Haunting and daring,
The Storycatcher
grasps readers by the wrists and pulls them into a world where the only boundary is the one of unfinished business. Ann Hite is a fearless writer who leaves her readers breathless, always looking back over their shoulders, unaware of the turn up ahead.
The Storycatcher
is riveting Southern gothic literature. Hite has written an unforgettable novel that is lyrical and beautiful, absorbing and graceful, proving that she herself is a master storycatcher.”

—Karen Spears Zacharias, author of
Mother of Rain

Ghost on Black Mountain

“Multiple female narrators add dimension and perspective to Hite’s first novel, and the sightings and visits from the spirits are often appropriately eerie. . . . Artfully woven.”

—Library Journal

“Will intrigue readers eager for a Southern Gothic tale, and suggests a promising future for the Black Mountain novels to come.”

—Publishers Weekly

“Twists folklore with the genres of Southern Gothic, paranormal, and literary fiction like a fine, fat pretzel, a guilty pleasure after midnight. . . . A richly layered tale of haints, hoodoo and heebie-jeebies, mayhem and murder, love and betrayal.”

—Press-Register
(Mobile, AL)

“Hite paints a loving portrait of rural mountain life in the early twentieth century, and characters are nuanced and true.”

—Atlanta

“A haunting Southern gothic tale . . . wonderfully crafted.”

—San Francisco Book Review

“Pull up a rocker and gaze into the hills at sundown. Old-time front-porch storytelling unfolds in this dark, twisted tale where hardscrabble lives, murderous secrets, and ghosts intersect on a mysterious mountain.”

—Beth Hoffman,
New York Times
bestselling author of
Saving CeeCee Honeycutt

“Haunting, dark and unnerving, Hite’s brilliant modern gothic casts an unbreakable spell.”

—Caroline Leavitt,
New York Times
bestselling author of
Pictures of You

“The authentic voice of Nellie Pritchard, who comes to Black Mountain as a new bride, wraps around you and pulls you deep into this haunted story. I couldn’t put it down.”

—Joshilyn Jackson,
New York Times
bestselling author of
Gods in Alabama

“An eerie page-turner told in authentic mountain voices that stick with the reader long after the story ends.”

—Amy Greene, author of
Bloodroot

“The inhabitants of Black Mountain live side-by-side with the spirits of the dead, throw spells and dig for treasure, solve their problems with careful alliances and the occasional murder. This is a story where the spookiness of a mountain village comes to life through gritty characters whose feelings and motivations seem all too similar to our own. Ann Hite captures their voices so well, you’d swear they’re whispering into your ear. . . . Captivating.”

—Rebecca Coleman, author of
The Kingdom of Childhood

Ella Ruth Hite

I miss you each day.

Jeffery Swafford

This is my love letter to you, brother.

Aileen Swafford Brown

The sister I haven’t met and would love to know.

T
HE SALT FROM THE OCEAN
hung thick and heavy in the air. The only breeze came from the boat moving. Roger and me stood together side by side at the boat’s wheel, him driving, me watching.

Ebb tide gave me the creepy crawlers. Ebb tide was unnatural, bad, nothing but bad.