Kin: A Memoir

Shawna Kay Rodenberg's memoir recounts her childhood in an off-the-grid religious community called the Body, located in Minnesota. When she was four, her father—a Vietnam veteran from Eastern Kentucky—moved the family there seeking safety and a better life. The community practiced strict communal living centered on prayer, bible study, and regimentation. Rodenberg struggled with the community's discipline and was sexually abused by an adult member. After the community's leader died and the abuse came to light, her family returned to the Kentucky mountains where their ancestors had lived for three hundred years. This region, shaped by the coal industry, is also marked by strong family bonds and human resilience. Rodenberg eventually left her mountain home, navigating the tension between her past and future. The memoir explores her family relationships, forgiveness, and love, while portraying generations of Appalachians who have endured personal and regional hardship.