14-year old Kevin and his mother Anne arrive from Indiana to
spend the summer at Anne’s father’s house in Medgar, Kentucky, deep in coal
mining country. Kevin’s younger brother
died in a tragic accident, and his father hopes that he and his mother will benefit
from time away at Anne’s childhood home.
“Pops,” Anne’s father, is the revered town veterinarian. He enlists Kevin as his assistant, taking him
in and out of the rural hollers to treat animals of all kinds. Kevin makes friends with a local boy, Buzzy
Fink, who introduces Kevin to swimming holes, hiking trails, and long standing
country traditions. Pops takes the boys on a ritual two week “tramp” through the
mountains, during which time they will live off the land, and fend for
themselves. The three of them face unexpected
obstacles on their journey; roles switch as Kevin and Buzzy take their turns as
the hero.
Several subplots simmer beneath the surface of this coming of age/journey novel.
Mining has long been a source of jobs in Medgar, but the new
method of coal mining, which involves literally blowing the tops off of the
mountains, has pitted the locals against each other. Set in 1985, the story also addresses the small town resident’s
attitudes toward homosexuality. Mr. Paul has grown up among them, and everyone
has known that he has a special relationship with his housemate. When Mr. Paul organizes locals in protest
against the mountain top removal of coal, things get ugly, and his personal
life is exposed in public.
I recommend this book for so many reasons. It is old fashioned story telling at its best: the book spans one summer without jumping back in forth in time, or using multiple narrative points of view. Christopher Scotton’s powers of description are amazing, his characters vivd.
Nancy
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