Tales of Koehler Hollow
Tales of Koehler Hollow tells the story of Amy Finney and her descendants. Amy, a formerly enslaved Black woman, gained her freedom and established a homestead in the Appalachian mountains during a time in American history when she was dehumanized for the color of her skin and devalued for being female. Naomi Hodge-Muse, working with Christopher A. Brooks, recounts stories from her family history, starting with her Great-Great Grandmother, Amy, through her parents, aunts, uncles, and siblings and their rural life. Their family story represents a microcosm of the African American experience in southern Virginia from the mid-19th century to the present - along with the complications, joys, tragedies, and sorrows that surrounded them.
List price: $21.95 (paperback)
ISBN: 978-1-964495-00-2
ebook price: $17.95
Reviews
What reviewers are saying about Tales of Koehler Hollow.
"Few people immediately associate the African American experience with Appalachia. A captivating look at a side of history that is not highlighted often enough. Five stars!"
--Gerald C. Howard (via Amazon)
"Strongly recommend! Tales of Koehler Hollow was a wonderful read. My favorite story was “Pokechop,” Naomi’s stepfather. He was a larger-than-life character who served in World War II. His well-known combative reputation as a hell-raiser in that region preceded him and followed him after his death."
-- Charles J. Hackett, Jr. (via Amazon)
"Christopher Brooks and Naomi Hodge-Muse catalog an important chapter of African American history in which the essential aspects of oral story-telling are transformed to the written word. Amy Finney and her descendants come alive on the page, creating an essential narrative. Such stories continue to be vital, and Tales of Koehler Hollow serves as an important archive."
-- Jay H. (via Amazon)
"Tales of Koehler Hollow is an important book to read and I’m grateful for the opportunity. History is often controlled by the powerful, they had the money to create records and steal people from their homes. Having this record of Amy and her family’s experience is a gift." -- JoyReadsBooks
"History tends to focus on remarkable people, but what makes a person “remarkable”? And who’s doing the remarking? This book provides a glimpse into a way of life many of us can only imagine. The people described in it are remarkable. They’re part of history at the grassroots level." --Debbi Mack for Howard Courier
Author Interviews
Listen to author Christopher A. Brooks' appearance on Moments with Marianne.
Author Christopher A. Brooks discusses a story from Tales of Koehler Hollow during an appearance on The Jeremiah Show.
Christopher A. Brooks
Christopher A. Brooks is a professor of anthropology at Virginia Commonwealth University. He has produced numerous award-winning publications focusing on the African continental and diasporan experience. Brooks, an internationally recognized biographer, has authored a series of books exploring the HIV pandemic in Africa and America. His most recent book in that series is Dual Pandemics: HIV and the Coronavirus in Several Kenyan Communities (Linus 2024). He is also the author of Roland Hayes: The Legacy of an American Tenor (with Robert Sims). Brooks looks forward to the publication of Tales of Koehler Hollow as it probes the often-underexplored world of African Americans in Appalachia.
Naomi Hodge-Muse
Naomi Hodge-Muse has served as the president of the Martinsville chapter of the NAACP, and Voter’s League, and was appointed by two Virginia Governors to the New College Institute Board of Directors. Hodge-Muse continues a family tradition of community activism and leadership in the Commonwealth, which has included detailed historical research. She is a proud graduate of Virginia Union University. Tales of Koehler Hollow is her family’s story and a history of the African American experience in Appalachia over the past 150+ years. Tales of Koehler Hollow is her first book.