All That's Unseen: An Appalachian Memoir by Hackney, Emilee

"[An] achingly intelligent memoir . . . It's been 10 years since the publication of Hillbilly Elegy, by Vice President JD Vance, and we finally have an Appalachian memoir worthy of its origins." --New York Times

In her luminous debut, Emilee Hackney offers both a love letter to and a reckoning of the place that made her--a story of losing her faith, finding her way back to her Appalachian home, and discovering what endures

Born and raised deep in the hollers of the Appalachian Mountains, Emilee Hackney knew little beyond the ridgelines and coalfields of southwest Virginia. As an eighth-generation Appalachian, her childhood was steeped in the stories of her grandparents--tales of the coal mines' brutal grip and the way the land, both beautiful and unforgiving, never quite let anyone go. At fourteen, Emilee meets Sam, a senior at her high school, who offers her a glimpse at a promising future together. But as they begin attending services at Deliverance Christian Church as a couple, Emilee is thrust into the radical realm of Pentecostalism. In a culture where marriage at nineteen isn't uncommon, Emilee is engaged to Sam. Eager to make her relationship work, she embraces the extremist doctrines of the religion, submitting herself fully to God, to Sam, and to a life of repentance. But what she doesn't yet know is the man she plans to marry is not who he claims to be.

Years later, Emilee finds herself isolated from friends, family, and her own sense of truth. Wracked with shame and self-doubt, she reaches a breaking point. On the verge of spiraling out of control, in a stunning act of defiance and hope, she applies to Harvard; against all odds, she is accepted. From the magisterial mountains of Tazewell to the storied halls of Cambridge, Emilee begins the arduous process of reinventing herself and her relationships with her home, faith, and values against the backdrop of the divisive 2016 election. All That's Unseen is Emilee Hackney's fiercely honest memoir about spiritual entrapment, hard-won liberation, and the courage to reclaim her voice after she had been taught to stay silent.

Author: Emilee Hackney
Publisher: Penguin Press
Published: 07/28/2026
Pages: 384
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 1.23lbs
Size: 9.10h x 6.00w x 1.40d
ISBN: 9780593831403

Review Citation(s):
Publishers Weekly 05/04/2026
Library Journal 06/01/2026 pg. 93
Kirkus Reviews 06/15/2026
Booklist 06/03/2026

About the Author
Emilee Hackney grew up in the coalfields of southwest Virginia. She graduated from Harvard University with a BA in English and briefly attended Vanderbilt University's MFA program. All That's Unseen is her first book.