Barbara Kingsolver
The Higher Ground Women’s Recovery Residence in Pennington Gap, Virginia, hosts a grand opening event Saturday, June 7. The day includes an evening pro-gram featuring music and an on-stage conversation with authors Barbara King-solver and Adriana Trigiani, and other special guests.
The open house is held at Lee Community Center from 3-6 p.m., with shuttles taking visitors from recommended parking at Pennington Middle School to the recovery residence for guided tours until 5 p.m. Shuttles also bring guests from the residence to the community center, where they’ll find the celebration continuing with food and fun until showtime. James Beard-nominated chef Travis Milton offers tastings of elevated Southern Appalachian cuisine during the Open House.
Doors at Lee Theatre, directly next door, open at 6 p.m. for the evening performance featuring regional musician Beth Snapp. Snapp’s “Pop-Alachian” sound blends elements of country, bluegrass, pop and folk while her singing and guitar playing have earned her a place as one of Southern Appalachia’s most gifted and respected singer-songwriters.
Kingsolver, the author of Pulitzer Prize-winning novel “Demon Copperhead” and other works, is Higher Ground’s founder. Award-winning author Adriana Trigiani is also known for writing and directing the motion picture “Big Stone Gap.”
This event is open to the public and admission is free, though tickets are limited. Check hgwrr.org to access a link to the ticketing website. Guest parking can be found at Pennington Middle School. Shuttles run from there to the community center throughout Open House hours and after the evening program.
The Higher Ground Women’s Recovery Residence is a sober living facility for women in recovery from Substance Abuse Disorder. The home was founded by Barbara Kingsolver using royalties from her novel “Demon Copperhead,” which explores the opioid crisis in Appalachia and the struggles of living with the disease of addiction. The work of fiction was set in Lee County.
The recovery home, which is already open and operational, helps support the women in residence there by providing safe and sober living, opportunities for employment and continued education. The center’s goal is to break the cycle of addiction, restore families, and foster lasting transformation in the lives of women throughout the region. This event is being organized as a thanks to the community that has supported Higher Ground Women’s Recovery Residence as the vision has become reality. For more information, visit the Higher Ground Women’s Recovery Residence’s website.
