Along the Pocatalico

Along the Pocatalico is the latest book by author Margaret M. Nava. In it she shares her memories of moving “back to the land” on a goat farm in rural 1970s Roane County, West Virginia.


“Many years ago, with unknown roads yet to travel and mountains yet to climb, my husband and I lived along the Pocatalico River in central West Virginia. It was there that we learned to grow a garden, grate horseradish, bale hay and milk goats. It was there that we learned about coon hunting, frog gigging and possum trapping. It was there that we went to our first revival, ate ramps and learned to live off the land. It was there that we made many memories – some happy, some sad. “But the human heart is a strange thing. You can convince yourself that things of the past are over and done with, but, every once in a while, something sparks a memory and you find your heart leading you back to earlier days. The stories in this book are about memories from a time that once was – a time of new beginnings in a place of old traditions.”