The Holler is a Southern literary novel set in rural southwest Georgia, where the quiet landscape of Possum Holler conceals a past that refuses to stay buried.

The story is narrated by Ben Peachy, a former Wall Street analyst who returned to his family’s land near Andersonville hoping to reconnect his wife and daughter with his Southern roots. Instead, the move cost him both, leaving him alone to reckon with what’s left behind.

Now teaching high school history, Ben settles into a quieter life — until he rents his garage apartment to Jack Settles, a college student from Boston who claims to be studying Southern culture. But Jack’s curiosity soon proves to be more than academic. As he works his way into the rhythms of small-town life, his presence begins to stir long-dormant tensions within the community — and within Ben himself.

Over the course of a turbulent summer, buried secrets rise to the surface, forcing Ben to confront painful truths about his past, his family, and the choices that brought him home.

Blending dry humor with introspective storytelling, The Holler explores identity, forgiveness, and the complicated pull of place and memory — all set against a vivid backdrop where nothing stays hidden forever.