New Book Offers A Funny And Heartfelt View Of The Real Asheville

Author Frederick M. Hueston released a new book inviting reading into a lively account of the world of Asheville and its surrounding mountain Times. Before You More to Asheville Read Tis, blends humor story telling, and sharp observations to people who looking to understand Asheville.  

“Asheville is the kind of place that sneaks up on you,” Hueston says. “You come for the scenery or the food or the music, and then one day you realize the mountains have slowed you down and the people have opened you up. That’s the Asheville nobody warns you about, so I figured I should.” 

Instead of providing a dry manual or tourist guide, Hueston provides and honest and fun perspective. He expounds on the mountain vibe that quietly changes people, musicians who never seem to sleep, artists who turn every spare corner into a studio, the Florians determined to make the mountains their new habitat, and the small towns that orbit Asheville with charm of their own. The book includes stories from Weaverville, Mars Hills, Marshall, Hendersonville Black Mountain, Canton, and Hot Springs, giving readers a full picture of the region and communities.  

Hueston, who once lived in Asheville and still visits often, describes the book as a tribute to the real experience of mountain living, not the curated version. “This place isn’t perfect,” he says. “But it’s alive, and that means something.” Hueston is a writer, consultant, scientist and storyteller, who has written dozens of books ranging for technical manuals to memoirs.