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In the 1860s, on Virginia’s Appalachian frontier, the fates of five people are forever linked as they navigate love, loss, and the cost of buried secrets amid the strife and turmoil of an unimaginable civil war.

available where books are sold

In the 1860s, on Virginia’s Appalachian frontier, the fates of five people are forever linked as they navigate love, loss, and the cost of buried secrets amid the strife and turmoil of an unimaginable civil war.

available where books are sold

“Fans of Southern literature and historical fiction will welcome this new voice.”

— Booklist

“In an exploration of the influences that bind us to people and place, to conviction and dream, Cathy Rigg’s That Which Binds Us rings with intimacy and authenticity.”

— Southern Literary Review

“Rigg’s grasp of the Civil War’s emotional impacts and costs is well woven into a memorable balancing of love, loss, grief, rediscovery of buried secrets, and the persistence that leads to recovery.”

— Historical Novel Society

The Daily Grace
The Daily Grace
To the Moon and Back

To the Moon and Back

WHILE IT'S NOT ideal, it is fitting that my last post (Day 17 of 30 Days of Joy but who's counting?) was filled with the wonder and awe of the Venerable Monks on their 2,300-mile Walk for Peace. I was then able to see the monks in person twice: first on the outskirts...

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Day 17: Walking for Peace

Day 17: Walking for Peace

Note: The image above and the text below are both copyright Walk for Peace. I share their statement—and believe this is acceptable—simply to spread their message. If you are not already doing so, I hope you will follow the monks on their remarkable journey. You can do...

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Day 16: Let’s make Soup Beans!

Day 16: Let’s make Soup Beans!

IT'S ONLY A little bit of a joke when I say if I'm ever on death row, for my last meal I'll be requesting a big hearty bowl of soup beans. And cornbread. Yes, cornbread, please! This is real mountain food—the ultimate comfort food—and as soon as the weather turned...

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Cathy Rigg 

Cathy Rigg Monetti headshot

Cathy Rigg is an author and maker with far more interests than she has time. Born and raised in Virginia’s Appalachian Mountains, her debut novel, That Which Binds Us, was published by Keylight Books in June of 2025. A work of historical fiction, the story is set in those beloved mountains and centers around five people whose lives intersect during the tumultuous years of the Civil War.

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