Ron Rash’s “Burning Bright,” a haunting hardcover novel from Canongate Books, plunges into the Appalachian landscape, revealing the raw edges of survival and the enduring power of love. Jacob and Edna, facing mounting hardships, are confronted by a seemingly small crisis that unearths a deeper, more devastating truth. When their hen stops laying, Jacob’s quest for answers exposes a world of desperate choices, lost innocence, and the hidden costs of survival in a community grappling with economic decline and the shadow of addiction. Rash, celebrated for his masterful storytelling and evocative prose, paints a vivid portrait of rural life where beauty and hardship intertwine. “Burning Bright” explores themes of theft, the devastation of drugs, and the resilience of the human spirit in the face of adversity. More than a simple mystery, this novel is a poignant exploration of a marriage tested by circumstance, a community struggling to hold on, and the sacrifices made in the name of love and survival. Fans of literary fiction and Southern storytelling will be captivated by Rash’s unflinching portrayal of lives lived on the margins and the burning embers of hope that flicker even in the darkest of times. This is a Main Edition of “Burning Bright”.