“The land is a body, and we are its blood.”
— Lace reflects on the connection between her family and the Appalachian mountains.
Archivist's Choice
Strange as This Weather Has Been
Ann Pancake (2007)
Genre
Literary Fiction / Historical Fiction
Reading Time
9-10 hours
Key Themes
See below
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In the scarred mountains of West Virginia, a coal mining family struggles with the slow destruction of their home and heritage. A defiant daughter and her mother confront the encroaching devastation of mountaintop removal and the choices that could save or shatter them.
Synopsis
The novel "Strange as This Weather Has Been" follows the Feltner family in present-day West Virginia as they deal with mountaintop removal and strip mining. Lace and her husband struggle to keep their home amid environmental destruction, economic hardship, and rising family tensions. Their four children, especially fifteen-year-old Bant, live in a landscape scarred by mining, finding adventure in the moonscape craters and junk-filled hollows.
As the coal mine turns their mountains into slag and wastewater, Bant takes a job at a motel and gets involved with a young miner. Lace, increasingly aware of the damage, considers joining the fight against the mining companies. The family faces layoffs, illness, and floods that damage their home and community. Bant, connected to the land and memories of a healthier past, learns the full extent of the environmental threat and the coming destruction of her mountain. The story ends with a community protest and personal reckonings, leaving the family and their hollow changed, but with some hope.
Reading time
9-10 hours
Difficulty
Medium
Pacing
Moderate
Mood
Atmospheric, Gritty, Melancholy, Resilient
✓ Read this if...
You are interested in literary fiction with a strong sense of place, exploring environmental themes, economic hardship, and the resilience of a family in Appalachia.
✗ Skip this if...
You prefer fast-paced plots, lighthearted themes, or stories without significant environmental or social commentary.
Plot Summary
The Hollow's Precarious Existence
The novel introduces the Feltner family – Lace, her husband Dane, and their four children, Bant, Corey, Jesco, and Sugar – living in a hollow in West Virginia. Their lives are tied to the land, but also threatened by nearby mountaintop removal (MTR) mining operations. The story opens with the children playing in the changed landscape, showing their adaptation to a world scarred by mining. Dane works for the mining company, which is both a source of income and conflict for the family. Lace, deeply connected to nature, feels the destruction strongly, while the children, especially Bant, start to notice the changes to their environment – the constant dust, the polluted water, and the disappearing mountains. Their home, though loved, feels vulnerable to the industry around them.
Bant's Growing Awareness and First Job
Fifteen-year-old Bant, observant and restless, takes a job cleaning rooms at a motel, a place used by out-of-state miners and contractors. This experience expands her view beyond the hollow, showing her the transient and sometimes harsh realities of the mining economy. She meets various people, including young miners, and begins to understand the complex system of dependency and exploitation in the industry. Her interactions there, particularly with a young miner named Spud, hint at budding romantic interests and a desire for independence. Meanwhile, conditions in the hollow continue to worsen, with more blasting, dust, and concerns about water quality from nearby impoundments, increasing Lace's quiet despair and anger.
Domestic Tensions and Environmental Decay
As mining operations intensify, so do family tensions within the Feltner household. Dane's work is inconsistent, subject to layoffs and company decisions, which stresses Lace. His occasional drinking worsens their conflicts. The children are increasingly exposed to environmental damage; Corey, in particular, has respiratory issues linked to the dust and pollution. Lace tries to keep things normal and protect her children from the harsh realities, but the constant noise, the brown water, and the threat of floods from the disturbed landscape make it almost impossible. Bant sees her parents' struggles and begins to feel the widespread sense of loss and helplessness.
The First Flood and Its Aftermath
Heavy rains cause a flood, a direct result of the changed landscape and clear-cut mountains that can no longer absorb water. The floodwaters rush through the hollow, damaging the Feltner home and washing away many of their belongings. This event shows the immediate dangers of MTR. The family must face how fragile their lives are and how little they can do against such forces. The children are traumatized, and Lace's resolve strengthens, fueling her belief that they must fight the mining companies. The community is left to rebuild, largely on their own, increasing their sense of isolation.
Lace's Awakening Activism
After the flood, Lace's quiet resentment turns into a desire for action. She starts attending community meetings, listening to other residents who have suffered from MTR, and learning about organized resistance efforts. Her deep connection to the land and her heritage, passed down through generations, makes her want to protect what remains. She deals with the fear of retaliation from the powerful mining companies and the potential strain on her already fragile family, especially given Dane's reliance on mining work. Despite her hesitation, the increasing destruction and her children's suffering push her closer to becoming active in the environmental movement, a decision that will have big consequences.
Jesco's Illness and Bant's Escape
The youngest child, Jesco, becomes seriously ill, with symptoms the family suspects are linked to the polluted water and air. His illness shows the human cost of the mining operations, making Lace more determined. Meanwhile, Bant, feeling stifled by the family's struggles and the bleakness of the hollow, finds a temporary escape in her relationship with Spud, the young miner. Their secret meetings offer her a sense of normalcy and a glimpse of a different future, even as she sees the contradictions of being involved with someone connected to the industry destroying her home. Her independence grows, but her loyalty is conflicted.
The Damaged Spring and Community Action
A turning point happens when the family's cherished spring, their source of clean water, becomes contaminated or dries up due to mining operations. This personal insult, along with Jesco's continued illness, energizes Lace. She joins a group of activists protesting the mining company, attending rallies and speaking out. This public stance creates conflict with Dane, who fears for his job and their safety. Lace's courage inspires some, but also shows the deep divisions in the community, where economic survival often conflicts with environmental protection. She speaks for those without a voice, risking much for her family and her heritage.
Bant's Discovery and the Mountain's Fate
Driven by curiosity and a deep connection to the land, Bant explores the devastated mountaintop removal sites. She sees the moonscape-like destruction, the vast pits, and the huge machinery, an experience that affects her deeply. She sees the scale of what has been lost and what continues to be lost, confirming her understanding of her mother's fight. Her journey into this forbidden zone is a coming-of-age moment, as she confronts the brutal reality of the industry that controls their lives. She brings back not just a sense of horror, but also a new appreciation for the remaining parts of nature and a resolve to protect them.
The Climax of Protest and Personal Reckoning
Lace participates in a major protest action, possibly a blockade or a sit-in, directly confronting the mining company's operations. This act of civil disobedience involves danger and strong emotions. While Lace is in the public battle, the family at home faces its own crises. Dane's frustration and fear peak, leading to a significant confrontation within the family. Bant, watching these struggles, understands the immense pressure on her mother and the sacrifices she is making. The climax shows the public and private battles coming together, illustrating the personal cost of the larger environmental struggle on individuals and families.
A Glimmer of Hope Amidst the Scars
After the protests and personal upheavals, the Feltner family, though scarred, finds a way to endure. Mining operations continue, but Lace's activism has raised awareness and perhaps given the community a sense of power. Bant, having seen the destruction and her mother's fight, begins to make her own way, carrying on the environmental awareness and a deep love for her home. While the mountains may never fully recover, the family's resilience and their connection to the land remain. The novel ends not with a clear victory, but with a powerful story of the human spirit's ability to find hope and continue fighting, even against great odds, preserving cultural memory and fighting for future generations.
Principal Figures
Lace Feltner
The Protagonist
Lace evolves from a resigned homemaker to a courageous environmental activist, finding her voice and agency in the face of overwhelming destruction.
Bant Feltner
The Protagonist
Bant matures from a curious teenager to a young woman with a clear understanding of her heritage and the environmental fight, finding her own voice in the struggle.
Dane Feltner
The Supporting
Dane grapples with the conflict between his duty as a provider and the environmental destruction, often retreating into silence or frustration.
Corey Feltner
The Supporting
Corey's physical health deteriorates, symbolizing the environmental decay and galvanizing his mother's resolve.
Jesco Feltner
The Supporting
Jesco's severe illness directly motivates his mother's activism, symbolizing the ultimate cost of environmental degradation.
Sugar Feltner
The Supporting
Sugar's experiences illustrate the normalization of environmental destruction for the youngest generation.
Spud
The Supporting
Spud serves as a catalyst for Bant's emotional and intellectual development, embodying the personal conflicts of the region.
Aunt Mae
The Supporting
Aunt Mae provides a link to the past and traditional wisdom, reinforcing the value of the land and heritage.
Themes & Insights
Environmental Destruction and Its Human Cost
The main theme explores the impact of mountaintop removal mining on the West Virginia landscape and its people. The novel shows the physical destruction (blasted mountains, polluted water, floods, dust) and the resulting health problems (Corey's respiratory issues, Jesco's illness). It shows how this environmental damage reduces quality of life, cultural heritage, and future prospects for mountain communities, forcing families like the Feltners into a difficult life where their home is being destroyed. Lace's activism comes from this direct experience of loss and harm.
“The mountain was like a body, she thought, and they were tearing out its guts.”
Identity and Belonging
The novel explores how identity is tied to place, especially for West Virginia mountain people. The Feltner family's sense of self, heritage, and way of life are rooted in the hollow and the surrounding mountains. As the landscape is destroyed, so is part of their identity. Bant's self-discovery is linked to her growing understanding of her home's fate. The fight to preserve the land becomes a fight to preserve who they are, their history, and their future, showing the strong sense of belonging that comes from generations of living on the land.
“She felt the mountain in her bones, a part of her blood, and now it was bleeding.”
Economic Desperation vs. Environmental Preservation
This theme explores the difficult choice many Appalachian communities face: the need for jobs and economic survival often comes at the expense of environmental health and cultural heritage. Dane's reliance on mining work, despite its destructive nature, shows this conflict. The novel shows how the powerful mining industry creates a system of dependency, making it hard for residents to oppose the force that provides their livelihood. This creates deep divisions within families and communities, where the choice between 'jobs or health' feels impossible, showing the systemic issues involved.
“How could you fight the thing that fed your children, even if it was slowly killing them?”
Resilience and Resistance
Despite the challenges, the Feltner family and the community show resilience and a growing spirit of resistance. Lace's transformation into an activist, Bant's growing awareness, and the community's efforts to organize and protest show the human ability to fight for what they believe in. The novel celebrates strength of character, enduring spirit, and deep love for home that fuels this resistance, even when immediate victories are rare. It is about the enduring human spirit in the face of great difficulty.
“They could take the top off the mountains, but they couldn't take the mountain out of us.”
Childhood and Adaptation
The novel offers a look at childhood in a landscape shaped by industrial destruction. The Feltner children—Bant, Corey, Jesco, and Sugar—grow up in an environment where blasted mountains, polluted streams, and dust are normal. They find adventure and play in this changed world, adapting with an innocence that highlights the severity of their circumstances. Their experiences show how environmental damage affects the most vulnerable, but also how children can adapt, find joy, and understand their world, even when it is scarred. Their future, however, remains uncertain.
“The kids played in the slag heaps like they were just another kind of mountain.”
Plot Devices & Literary Techniques
Multiple Perspectives (Shifting POV)
Narrative shifts between various family members to provide a comprehensive view of the crisis.
The novel employs a shifting point of view, primarily focusing on Lace and Bant, but also occasionally dipping into the perspectives of Dane and the younger children. This allows for a multifaceted exploration of the mountaintop removal crisis, showing its impact from different angles: Lace's deep emotional and spiritual connection, Bant's awakening awareness, Dane's economic burden, and the children's adaptation. This technique builds a rich, empathetic understanding of the family's collective and individual struggles, ensuring no single viewpoint dominates the complex narrative.
Environmental Symbolism
The landscape itself acts as a character, reflecting the family's internal and external struggles.
The West Virginia landscape, particularly the mountains, hollows, and water, functions as a powerful symbol. Initially, it represents heritage, sustenance, and identity. As it undergoes mountaintop removal, it becomes a symbol of violation, loss, and the destructive power of industry. The polluted water, the dust, and the floods are not just plot points but also symbolic representations of the poisoning of their lives and culture. The mountain itself embodies the resilience of nature and the spirit of the people, even as it is systematically destroyed, mirroring the family's own struggle for survival and integrity.
The Motif of Water
Water, once a source of life, becomes a symbol of pollution and destruction.
Water serves as a recurring and evolving motif throughout the novel. Initially, the clean spring water represents purity, life, and the connection to the land and tradition. As the mining progresses, water becomes contaminated, turning brown, causing illness (Jesco), and eventually leading to devastating floods due to altered hydrology. This transformation of water from a life-giving force to a destructive and toxic element powerfully illustrates the profound and irreversible damage caused by mountaintop removal, directly impacting the family's health and safety.
Folkloric Elements and Oral Tradition
Incorporation of local dialect, stories, and historical memory to ground the narrative in Appalachian culture.
Pancake weaves in elements of Appalachian oral tradition, including local dialect, storytelling, and references to historical memory of the land. This device authenticates the setting and characters, grounding the narrative in the rich cultural fabric of West Virginia. It emphasizes the deep connection the characters have to their heritage and the land, highlighting what is being lost through the destruction. Aunt Mae's character, in particular, embodies this link to an older way of life and knowledge, reinforcing the cultural stakes of the environmental fight.
Critical analysis
Notable Quotes
“You can't love a place and not be afraid for it.”
— Lace expresses her deep-seated fear about mountaintop removal mining.
“We're all just waiting for the mountain to fall on us.”
— A community member describes the constant anxiety of living near mining sites.
“The water don't lie. It tells you what's been done.”
— Observation about polluted streams as evidence of environmental damage.
“Memory is a kind of haunting.”
— Lace thinks about the past and how it lingers in the present.
“They take the top off the world and call it progress.”
— Critique of mountaintop removal mining and its justification.
“Home is not a place you can leave behind.”
— Reflection on the inescapable pull of one's homeland.
“The silence after the blast is the loudest thing I've ever heard.”
— Description of the eerie quiet following a mining explosion.
“We live in the cracks of what they've broken.”
— Metaphor for surviving in a damaged environment.
“Grief is a mountain you carry inside.”
— Lace's internalization of loss from environmental and personal trauma.
“The trees remember what we try to forget.”
— Nature as a keeper of history and truth.
“Sometimes holding on is the only rebellion left.”
— Defiance in the face of corporate and environmental pressures.
“You can't bury a mountain and expect it to stay dead.”
— Warning about the long-term consequences of environmental destruction.
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Key Questions (FAQ)
The novel follows a West Virginia coal mining family—parents Lace and Jimmy Make, and their four children—as they navigate the devastating impacts of mountaintop removal mining on their community and environment. Through alternating perspectives, particularly focusing on fifteen-year-old Bant and her mother Lace, it explores how the destruction of the landscape parallels domestic tensions, economic struggles, and the family's fraying connection to their mountain home.
