After losing her beloved Mamaw, Shay Napier turns to art for comfort and begins to draw the wild, fantastic beasts that grow in her imagination, which include everything from delicate fairies to a monstrous black bear with golden antlers. Inspired by her surroundings in beautiful Silver Hollow, Kentucky, Shay soon has an entire sketchbook full of drawings. When Shay’s cousins Brenna and Jayson come for a visit, their arrival coincides with the news that a developer is buying up land in the area to build a shopping center, leading to worries that the coal mines that employ Shay’s father will be shut down. When one neighbor goes missing and another narrowly escapes an explosion, it becomes clear that the developers are after more than just the land. After a terrifying run-in with a bear, Shay must figure out how to protect her home while facing a terrifying truth: that her drawings have come to life and loosed her creatures onto the world.

Praise for Where Wild Beasts Grow

“There’s a lot of magic in Where the Wild Beasts Grow, and not just in the mysterious creatures that young artist Shay sees in the shadows. There’s magic in Shay’s memories of her Mamaw, in the openness and love of her family, and in the natural world around them in Silver Hollow. Amanda Crum masterfully captures the complicated feelings in that liminal space between childhood and adulthood as Shay learns to trust her instincts and stand up for what’s right. Step into this adventurous Appalachian summer, and let Where the Wild Beasts Grow transport you to a little mountain hollow where anything is possible.”

– Kay Allen, Founding Editor, Sword & Kettle Press