Daughters of Green Mountain Gap
An Appalachian granny woman. A daughter on a crusade. A granddaughter caught between the two.
Maggie McCoury, a generational healer woman, relies on family traditions, folklore, and beliefs gleaned from a local Cherokee tribe. Her daughter, Carrie Ann, believes her university training holds the answers. As they clash over the use of roots, herbs, and a dash of mountain magic versus the medicine available in the town’s apothecary, Josie Mae doesn’t know whom to follow. But what happens when neither family traditions nor science can save the ones you love most?
Daughters of Green Mountain Gap weaves a compelling tale of Maggie, Carrie Ann, and Josie Mae, three generations of remarkable North Carolina women living at the turn of the twentieth century, shedding light on racism, fear of change, loss of traditions, and the intricate dynamics within a family. Author Teri M. Brown skillfully navigates the complexities of their lives, revealing that some questions are not as easy to answer as one might think.
About the Author
Teri M. Brown
Born in Athens, Greece as an Air Force brat, Teri M Brown came into this world with an imagination full of stories to tell. She now calls the North Carolina coast home, and the peaceful nature of the sea has been a great source of inspiration for her creativity.
Not letting 2020 get the best of her, Teri chose to go on an adventure that changed her outlook on life. She and her husband, Bruce, rode a tandem bicycle across the United States from Astoria, Oregon to Washington DC, successfully raising money for Toys for Tots. She learned she is stronger than she realized and capable of anything she sets her mind to. Teri is a wife, mother, grandmother, podcaster, and author who loves word games, reading, bumming on the beach, taking photos, singing in the shower, hunting for bargains, ballroom dancing, playing bridge, and mentoring others.
Daughters of Green Mountain Gap is set against the rich historical backdrop of late 19th-century Appalachia. How did the Appalachian setting influence the story, and what elements of the culture and history were essential for you to include?
TMB: Maggie, the oldest of the three main characters, is a granny woman, a type of healer found in the Appalachian Mountains. This type of healer uses roots, herbs, knowledge of the past, and what I call a bit of mountain magic – the ability to heal in ways that rely on a belief in having a call to do so. In addition to the medicinal practices, I also focused on the idea of community, both the small town of Burnsville and the Cherokee who remained in NC after the Trail of Tears.
Maggie, Carrie Ann, and Josie Mae each grapple with their identities and roles in a changing society. How did you develop their unique voices, and what did you want readers to understand about each of these women?
TMB: I love writing about generations in a family because each generation sees life from a unique viewpoint. When developing these three characters, I looked at healing practices, racial tensions, family dynamics, and the fear of change based on their ages and experience.
I read an article several years ago that showed that even the word ‘change’ affects brain waves in the same way as fear. Maggie has the ability to think through this fear. Carrie Ann, on the other hand, deals with her fear by trying to control everything around her. Josie Mae, the youngest, sees both points of view and isn’t sure which way to turn.
When readers finish Daughters of Green Mountain Gap, I hope they see themselves in all three characters. I know I found myself lurking in all three.
The theme of healing – both physical and emotional – is woven throughout the story. What drew you to explore this theme, and how did the practice of folk medicine shape the characters and plot?
TMB: My reason for exploring the theme started as complete curiosity. My brother told me that he had a buddy who could talk off a wart. I had never heard of such a thing and jumped into the research rabbit hole. Not only did I find those who could talk to a wart and have it disappear, I discovered those who could blow in someone’s mouth to remove thrush, talk the heat out of a burn, and turn a breech baby with a chant. All of this took me into the world of an Appalachian granny woman.
Folk medicine is passed from one generation to the next, which led to my family of healers, each taking what the last generation understood and adding a new twist. Maggie learns lessons from a Cherokee medicine man. Carrie Ann attends a modern school in Boston. And Josie Mae finds a way to assimilate both styles of medicine, taking the best from each.
The tension between traditional beliefs and modern medicine is evident, particularly between Maggie and her daughter Carrie Ann. What do you hope readers take away from their differing approaches to healing?
TMB: My husband was diagnosed with an incurable brain cancer two and a half years ago. During that time, we have relied on modern medicine to prolong his life. However, the modern approach often leans toward quantity rather than quality. That’s why we have also looked at herbs, probiotics, aroma therapy, massage therapy, nutritional smoothies, and yoga.
My hope is that readers will learn that there isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution to health and healthcare. Sometimes, the best soluti
Ancestry and family legacy play a significant role in shaping the characters’ lives. How did you approach writing about the connections and conflicts between multiple generations?
TMB: As a child, I often heard my grandparents talk about The Great Depression. I remember thinking, “Not this again. It’s over. Why are you still talking about it?” For me, the Depression was an ancient event that had no bearing on my current life. After 9/11, I realized that my grandchildren would think the same thing about my remembrances of that time as I did about my grandparents ramblings.
I wasn’t a terrible child, but the Depression was not part of my life. My parents had a vague recollection and lived the aftermath. My grandparents knew firsthand what it was like to live such depravation. This will always be true for any event. The older generation will share what they know, and the younger generations will digest it in context of what they have experienced. Sometimes this builds family connections. Sometimes it creates family conflicts.
Maggie’s relationship with the Cherokee healer, Oukonunaka, is a cornerstone of her own healing practice. Can you tell us about the inspiration behind his character and the cultural exchange between Maggie and the Cherokee community?
TMB: As I was doing research about the 1890s in the North Carolina mountains, I realized that a small portion of Cherokee were permitted to remain rather than relocate to the west. I find the native American cultures fascinating, so I researched healing practices of the Cherokee. What I found fit well with Maggie’s ideas of healing and provided an amazing backdrop for information about a native North Carolinian culture as well as a look into the racism that existed during this time.
Spirituality and introspection seem to guide many characters, especially in times of crisis. How did you incorporate these elements to enhance the story’s emotional depth?
TMB: I do my best to make my characters as real as possible. As someone who attends church and has a strong belief system, my own spirituality guides me. Therefore, it makes sense that my characters find the same guidance.
I’ve also noted that people tend to look to their religion in times of difficulty, even if they don’t embrace that religion at other times in their life. Why? When we struggle, we are more prone to look for answers rather than rely on our own strengths.
The Green Mountain Gap itself almost feels like a character within the novel. How did you envision this setting in your writing process, and what does the mountain represent for the characters?
TMB: I’ve visited the Appalachian region of North Carolina many times over the past 45 years. Even today, with the growth of the region, it is still rural and serene. It also holds the secrets of generations of people who have lived there.
The mountain represents home – a place to come back to – a place to set down roots and raise a family – a place that provides what is needed from food to medicine to friends.
Given the historical elements in Daughters of Green Mountain Gap, what was the research process like for you, and were there any surprising discoveries that shaped the novel?
TMB: I love research and call myself a #researchjunkie. I’m grateful for the Internet that allows me to find great sources of information without having to leave my home, especially now that my husband is ill.
The Cherokee healing practices were the most fascinating part of the research. In particular, I loved the idea of balance and used this concept throughout Maggie’s healing journey. However, the most surprising discovery was about the plants and how to process them for medicinal use. For instance, some plants must be harvested during the winter once the sap is down in the roots. Otherwise, the plant will not be useful for the body. Also, plants that are poisonous, like poison ivy, can be used to treat illness. My research has given me a new appreciation for those who understand the use of herbs and plants in healing the body.
With such a compelling and emotional journey for the characters, is there a particular scene or moment in the book that stands out as a favorite or one that was particularly challenging to write?
TMB: There was a scene that was very difficult to write, and when readers come to this scene, they will know which one I mean – but I don’t want to give it away. However, I will talk about the writing process around this scene.
I came up with the idea but decided it might be ‘too much.’ And, quite frankly, I didn’t want it to happen. So, I stopped writing and tried coming up with an alternative. At this point, I was about 75% of the way into the book and still was not sure how I was going to wrap everything up. Even as a pantser – one writes by the seat of her pants – I was beginning to worry that I wouldn’t be able to wrap everything up. I simply couldn’t see how it would all end.
After six weeks of refusing to write the scene and desperately trying to find an alternative, I finally sat down at the computer. I decided to write the scene knowing I could throw it away. The next morning, I woke and the entire book opened up before me. I knew exactly what needed to happen. I swear, Maggie whispered in my ear, “See? You have to listen to me. Now that you’ve written the scene, I can let you in on the ending!”
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Article originally Published in the December/January 2024 Issue “2024 Indie Best Award Winners”