The Secrets of Indian Knob

The Secrets of Indian Knob, a sweet song of innocence, is steeped in folklore and tradition. The setting is a remote area somewhere along the Virginia/West Virginia border. The townsfolk suspect a throwback woman lives somewhere up in the hills. She is difficult to spot. However, some claim to have seen this elusive woman with flyaway hair the color of dry oak leaves dragging herself through the woods. The Cassell brothers know first hand about this woman, for from the very night she arrived on their doorstep, their lives would never be the same. This is the story of that woman, Mary Hannah McCutcheon, and how she became one of the secrets of Indian Knob.

WHAT READERS SAY...

In Heidi Hartwiger's The Secrets of Indian Knob readers can venture into the far reaches of Appalachia and share the compassionate insights of Mary Hannah McCutcheon as she grows to love the three shy little girls of the Cassell family. Ms. Hartwiger creates vivid scenes and startling characters, ranging from a granny skilled in healing arts and herbal gardening to the frightening men of the family.

As the year-long visitor unravels the mysteries of the Cassells, she learns even more than she teaches. The novel resonates with hope as Mary Hannah mends her own crushed spirit and gains the strength to leave the herb children with bright prospects.

The Secrets of Indian Knob celebrates healings of many kinds, some of them accomplished in surprising and heartwarming ways.
Carolyn Rhodes, Professor Emeritis of English and Women's Studies Old Dominion University

Mary Hannah McCutcheon, seeking healing both physical and spiritual, stumbles upon the secret world of Indian Knob, located somewhere near the Virginia-West Virginia border. She makes a bargain to remain there for one year, caring for a bedridden woman, Granny Eulie, in payment for a place to stay and needed repairs to her jeep. She learns the ways of herbs and folk medicine. She learns also the peace and confidence of a life well lived.
Doris Gwaltney, author of Shakespeare's Sister and George Purdie, Merchant Of Smithfield

Heidi Hartwiger is a superb story teller. The Secrets of Indian Knob is written in crisp prose, textured with the lore and legends of the Appalachian highlands. Her characters are steeped in mystery and heart.
Bill Brown, author of The Gods of Little Pleasures

196 pages, 5.5 X 8.5 inches, Softcover, Frog Hollow Press, ISBN: 09715475405