21. Salvation on Sand Mountain: Snake-Handling and Redemption in Southern Appalachia by Dennis Covington

Category: 50 Books

21. Salvation on Sand Mountain: Snake-Handling and Redemption in Southern Appalachia by Dennis Covington

I thought this book was going to be a true crime book about Glen Summerford, a preacher at a snake handling church in Scotsboro, AL who went to prison for trying to murder his wife using, you guessed it, rattlesnake bites. The book sort of starts out that way, but then it turns into the author’s story about how he gets caught up in the snake-handling church. It was a very interesting book.

Mr. Covington does a good job of not making fun of the country/mountain folk, and you can see that, after hanging out with those people for so long, he has a real love for them. I especially enjoyed the parts where he was talking about the Holy Spirit, he did an excellent job with that.

Reading about country/mountain people you can’t help but be all, “aw, aren’t they sweet and simple.” but also, those are some of the most judging judge-holes. I mean, to them? Only snake handling people are going to heaven.

This was a quick and easy read, and I couldn’t put it down. It was one of those where I’d be sitting on the couch reading and I’d say, “Jimmy, listen to this….” and I’d read a paragraph or two to him. and then we’d be all, “Those people are crazy!”

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