We Sent Them Down Singing
Libby Edwardson
July 2026
“Zell Dorsey was the Devil. Not even a man as kind as you stands a chance you when the Devil sets you in his sights.”
In the small coal-mining town of Jubilee, West Virginia, Phinnie “Skinny” Caldwell has spent thirteen years haunted by the day her mama ran off to the desert with a mysterious man named Zell Dorsey. Taken in by her iron-willed grandmother, the two mourn their shared loss and Skinny learns to brace herself for just about anything―except Zell’s return.
But Zell’s homecoming dredges up more than unanswered questions. A thick, oily sickness is spreading through the community, turning everyone Skinny loves into violent creatures. Desperate to save her town and learn the truth of what really happened to her mama, Skinny turns to her best friend―and the closest thing she’sever had to a father―Happy Walker. Only nothing can prepare them for what they’ll find. Behind Zell Dorsey’s human façade is a creature older than the Appalachians themselves. And he’s come back to finish what he started.
This book is a testament to the resilience of grieving mothers, the powerful embrace of found family, and the tenacity of the beautiful people of Appalachia, a place where the accents sing and the tea is always sweet.
Praise
“This is a book that’ll stick with me for the rest of my life. It is complex, heartbreaking, and utterly hopeful. It reminds us all that no matter how small, how isolated, we may feel in this world, the earth―and those we love―will remember us.”
-Megan Bontrager
author of The Sea Hides Its Dead
“Equal parts mystical and haunting, reading it fifilled both my waking and sleeping hours with a sense of dread and magic. Libby Edwardson is a truly singular voice in horror.”
-Camilla Sten
author of The Lost Village
“It’s primal, profoundly human, and at times terrifying, but most of all it depicts the strength, secrets, and injustices of communities and families with a power that took my breath away.”
-Hester Steel
Bram Stoker Award-nominated author of The Faceless Thing We Adore
“Edwardson expertly captures the imagery of the hollers in the way they were supposed to be: beautiful, complex, mysterious, and captivating. This compelling story will keep you on the edge of your seat, and is another stellar example of the profound literary talent from our Appalachia.”
-Chuck Corra
co-founder of the Appalachian podcast Appodlachia
“This vividly-told horror novel will send chills up your spine and catch your breath in your throat, all the while slowly revealing a core of both genuine heart and much-needed hope. I think I spent the final three chapters in tears.”
-C.J. Dotson
author of The Cut and These Familiar Walls
In the Media
Library Journal
"Fans of Stephen King’s small-town horror should take a trip to Jubilee to experience this terrifying Appalachian horror story."