MOTHMAN FLUTTERINGS

The Gallows Tree: A Mothman’s Tale, by Susan A. Sheppard is a new book to me; I hadn’t heard of it before now. Reviews are mixed, it seems. Sheppard grew up in the Pt. Pleasant area, and, according to the blurb on Amazon:

This spectacular event helped shape Sheppard’s imagination and set the tone for her future writings. Between 1966 and 1967, one hundred sightings of the Mothman were reported by local media. By 1968, the Mothman had disappeared. But his story did not end there. In The Gallows Tree: A Mothman’s Tale, the peaceful landscape of West Virginia is shattered by a being that can only be described as a part-human, part-ghoul – a red-eyed, winged beast. Sheppard re-imagines her tale and builds a world for her Mothman through a cast of characters that includes an alcoholic preacher, ghosts of lynched slaves and a beautiful witch queen ruling over local ghouls.