Theses and Dissertations Collection

Abraham of the Mountains: An Interactive Novel tells the story of Abraham Bartley, a nasty old man who gets more than he bargains for when he embarks on a journey to win back his girlfriend, Winona. This novel’s interactive form presents readers with choices which remove agency from the character and place it in the hands of the audience and a snarky narrator. This form creates a cyclical narrative which is meant to reflect the cycles of exploitation and extraction present in Appalachian history and culture, some of which are the opioid epidemic, the environmentally destructive practices of coal mining and mountaintop removal, and stereotypes of Appalachian people as poor, lazy, and uneducated. While on his purgatorial odyssey, Abe must overcome obstacles put in his way by the narrator and reader, some of which result in death. Ultimately, Abe discovers deep truths about his own identity as an Appalachian man. When he leaves Eastern Kentucky and travels to Alaska after Winona, he is able to confront the narrator, break out of the cycles, and take control of his own life. This journey mimics the emotional experience of many people growing up in, leaving, learning about, returning to, and advocating for Appalachia.