Dennis Covington, Salvation on Sand Mountain: Snake Handling and Redemption in Southern Appalachia (1995)

My comment on this will have to wait until I've actually read it, but in the meantime how about this quote from Fannie Flagg, who, the flap informs anyone who wasn't already aware, is the author of Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Café:

'Salvation on Sand Mountain will jar you to the bone. It will make you wonder about things you never thought to wonder about and meet people you never dreamed existed. Dennis Covington is either the bravest or the craziest journalist I know.'

The back flap is even more exuberant:

'With grace and humor and exquisite writing, Dennis Covington explores a physical and spiritual geography few readers will be prepared for. Reminiscent of the best of Flannery O'Connor, Carson McCullers and James Agee, Salvation on Sand Mountain is southern literature at its best.'

OK, my own comments to come later, as with Madison Jones below (although they will come sooner).