Southernmost by Silas House

This past summer, I was missing home and my parents, so I picked up Southernmost to give me a glimpse of home back in Appalachia.

Southernmost follows Asher, a pastor who rejects his brother Luke after learning he is gay. Ten years later, Asher welcomes a gay couple into his house after a flood destroys their home. But Asher’s wife refuses to allow them to stay. Through a series of events, Asher’s marriage falls apart and his wife has claims primary custody of their son, Justin. Asher then takes things into his own hands and flees with Justin to Key West in hopes of finding his brother Luke and making amends.

What follows is Asher’s crisis of faith and his slow understanding that he must be held accountable for his actions. House understands his characters so well, capturing tiny details that make the characters feel like people I’ve known my entire life.

I fell in love with Silas House’s short fiction first, and his longer fiction doesn’t disappoint. His stories take me home to Appalachia, the land I love, celebrating and critiquing it from the perspective of hoping it will change for the better. 💙💚🧡🤍