Bound To Stay Bound

Publishers Weekly - 04/20/2026 Following the conclusion of the Vietnam War, tweens grapple with familial and communal changes in this haunting novel by Kramer (Eyes on the Sky). In the remote Appalachian town of Blackberry Holler in eastern Tennessee, 12-year-old Delilah’s older sister Eve, with whom Delilah was once close, has been inexplicably keeping her distance from Delilah-and from Delilah’s earnest attempts to learn the ways of healing herbal mountain magic. Meanwhile, Delilah’s younger sister Jezzie proves herself always ready to brawl with neighborhood boys. The arrival of traveling preacher Brother Jones instills hope in Delilah that her sibling conflicts-as well as other tensions at home-can be resolved. After he rescues Delilah from a rattlesnake, Brother Jones invites the family to attend services at his new church. But the promise of salvation soon gives way to unease: alarmed by Brother Jones’s apparent ability to speak in tongues and his dramatic handling of a rattlesnake during worship, Delilah must reckon with the possibility that a grim mountain folktale may hold surprising truths. Delilah’s perceptive first-person narration and imagery-rich language conjures a chilling Appalachian backdrop populated by strong, memorably rendered, white-cued characters. It’s an ominous tale that thoughtfully explores cultural tensions and competing beliefs. Ages 8-12. Agent: Jennifer Carlson, Dunow, Carlson & Lerner Literary. (June) - Copyright 2026 Publishers Weekly used with permission.

School Library Journal - 05/02/2026 Gr 4–6—It is Appalachia in the 1970s, and 11-year-old Delilah has been struggling. Her older sister Eve no longer wants to spend time with her. Layoffs at her daddy's factory loom overhead. Delilah's hill magic, passed down from her Maw-maw, is not as powerful as she wants it to be. Her pet raccoon, Freddy, has gone missing. A chance encounter with a rattlesnake and a traveling preacher causes Delilah to start asking questions about her faith and herself. Brother Jones invites Delilah's family to attend his tent revival in the holler. After seeing the congregation handle venomous snakes, Delilah's parents decide they won't return. Eve, however, continues to secretly attend. Concerned for Eve's welfare, Delilah conjures up a plan with fellow hill magic practitioner Zachery and bellicose little sister Jezzie to rescue her. Complex questions of faith and tolerance are handled delicately, as Delilah learns that while it is important to respect different beliefs, it is unacceptable to put others in danger. The default white characters are carefully wrought, and Delilah is surrounded by a loving community. Vivid descriptions evoke a strong sense of the 1970s rural Tennessee setting. The pacing is solid, with a harrowing, dramatic climax involving a rattlesnake at the revival. References to an Appalachian folktale about a girl who's spiritually entwined with a snake echo Delilah's increasing feelings of unease. Chapters are demarcated by Bible quotes. An author's note concludes. VERDICT A thoughtful and unique story of faith and growing up that is also first purchase.—Hannah Grasse - Copyright 2026 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Booklist - 05/01/2026 A 1970s coming-of-age tale gets a snake-charming twist in this story that follows Delilah and her Appalachian family through growing pains and political evolutions after a controversial church and its pastor come to Blackberry Holler. When a chance encounter with a rattlesnake forces 11-year-old Delilah into the path of a new snake-handling pastor, his wild brand of preaching shakes up her family in myriad ways. Her down-on-his-luck father’s true feelings about religion surface, and her older sister gets swept up by the church’s energy—and by the pastor’s handsome son. All the while, Delilah can’t shake the feeling that there’s a snake within her. Delilah wrestles with her understanding of Christianity as her practice of “hill magic” clashes with messages from the revival tent. Ruminative yet plot-driven, this invites readers to experience a story that feels rooted in the 1970s but is also relevant today. The writing’s strong sense of place adds some much-needed Appalachian flair to the shelves and shows how stereotypes can break us and be broken. - Copyright 2026 Booklist.