The Gallows Tree: A Mothman's Tale

Author Susan Sheppard grew up only hills away from the first sighting of the West Virginia Mothman that occurred on November 14, 1966. 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. In this book, mixed with a dreamlike setting, the Mothman not only comes to West Virginia, he finds his humanity in one stunning final victory.