Summary

“Root Worker” follows the story of a woman named Dr. Glynnis Holloway, who practices medicine in the Washington, D.C. area at St. Elizabeths Hospital. Glynnis’ mother, Alberta, suffers from psychotic delusions in which she believes that she is being “ridden” by a cabal of witches. Although Glynnis and her father, Morton, have been caring for Alberta for years through her affliction, she shows few signs of improvement. One day, Morton hires a nurse named Maddie Williams to come and look after Alberta. To Glynnis’ irritation, Maddie begins insisting that Alberta come to a rural county in North Carolina—the county where Morton grew up—to receive healing treatments from her mother, whom she asserts is a “root worker,” which Glynnis confirms is often misconstrued with voodoo. Morton overrides Glynnis and agrees to bring Alberta down to Roxboro, NC, where she...