In the shadowy Appalachians, a snake-handling preacher's trial pulls an author into a world of fervent faith, deadly serpents, and his own ancestral roots.
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In the shadowy Appalachians, a snake-handling preacher's trial pulls an author into a world of fervent faith, deadly serpents, and his own ancestral roots.
About
Details
It is Scottsboro, Alabama, in the fall of 1991. A snake-handling preacher by the name of Glendel Buford Summerford has just tried to murder his wife, Darlene, by snakebite. At gunpoint, he forces her to stick her arm in a box of rattlesnakes. She is bitten twice and nearly dies.
The trial, which becomes a sensation throughout southern Appalachia, echoes familiar themes from a troubled secular world - marital infidelity, spouse abuse, and alcoholism - but it also raises questions about faith, fo...
What's Inside
will contain mild spoilers
Sexual content
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Brief references to marital infidelity; no on-page sexual scenes.
Violence & gore
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Graphic descriptions of snake bites and handling; attempted murder by snakebite central to plot.
Profanity
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Mild profanity in dialogue and quotes from subjects.
Substance use
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Alcoholism themes; ritual drinking of strychnine portrayed as faith act with risks highlighted.
LGBTQ+ Rep.
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No LGBTQIA+ representation.
Religious content
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Central focus on snake-handling churches, rituals, speaking in tongues, and personal faith journeys.
Magic & witchcraft
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No witchcraft or occult elements.
Occult / demonology
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No evidence found in available sources.
Political content
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Discussions of poverty, rootlessness, and cultural clashes in southern Appalachia.
Self-harm / suicide
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Risky behaviors like snake handling and poison drinking as faith tests; no explicit suicide ideation.
Abuse & suffering
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Domestic violence including spouse abuse and attempted murder; themes of marital infidelity and alcoholism.
Other
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No information found