Gods of Howl Mountain

Gods of Howl Mountain is a 2018 novel by Taylor Brown, set in 1950s North Carolina, that follows Korean War veteran Rory Docherty as he returns home to bootleg whiskey, navigate family secrets, and confront a violent past with the help of his folk-healer grandmother, Granny May, all while dealing with rival runners, federal agents, and a mysterious love interest. The book is praised for its gritty, atmospheric prose, vivid characters, and exploration of Southern traditions, folklore, and the conflict between old ways and modernity, drawing comparisons to Deliverance and Cold Mountain.