NEEDLEWORK

A gay teen drags it up as Dolly Parton.

With one parent incarcerated and the other struggling with addiction, 17-year-old Kody lives with Nanny, his maternal grandmother, in her Morgan, Kentucky, modular home. Between watching The Golden Girls, church on Sundays, and working on sewing projects together, the two have a lot in common. But, close as they are, Nanny doesn’t know Kody’s greatest secrets: He’s gay, and he has a ritual Dolly Dress-Up Hour when she’s not home. A third secret comes to light when a surprise Facebook message connects Kody, who is White, with Macey, the 15-year-old half sister he knew nothing about. Yet another surprise for Kody, given that the town is almost entirely White, is that Macey’s late father was Black. The siblings meet across state lines where Macey lives in Knoxville, Tennessee, and get to know each other. Macey believes she might be bisexual, and her family’s casual acceptance surprises Kody. But the more they connect, the more Kody’s personal secrets—and his family’s own closely kept secrets—begin to unravel. Watts’ latest contemporary Appalachian story movingly melds identity exploration with more prominent themes of addiction, family, faith, and racism. Though she doesn’t skirt away from uncomfortable situations or harsh realities, the overall tone is hopeful—not unlike a Dolly Parton song itself. Although the end of the novel feels too rushed, the rural setting and community are richly drawn.

A would-be “Backwoods Barbie” tale with a whole lot of heart.