Publication
Wheeler Publishing
Collection
Call number
Large Print Fiction S
Physical description
636 p.; 22 cm
Status
Available
Call number
Description
"After witnessing the death of his younger brother in a terrible home accident, 14-year-old Kevin and his grieving mother are sent for the summer to live with Kevin's grandfather. In this peeled-paint coal town deep in Appalachia, Kevin quickly falls in with a half-wild hollow kid named Buzzy Fink who schools him in the mysteries and magnificence of the woods. The events of this fateful summer will affect the entire town of Medgar, Kentucky. Medgar is beset by a massive Mountaintop Removal operation that is blowing up the hills and back filling the hollows. Kevin's grandfather and others in town attempt to rally the citizens against the 'company' and its powerful owner to stop the plunder of their mountain heritage. When Buzzy witnesses the brutal murder of the opposition leader, a sequence is set in play which tests Buzzy and Kevin to their absolute limits in an epic struggle for survival in the Kentucky mountains. Redemptive and emotionally resonant, The Secret Wisdom of the Earth is narrated by an adult Kevin looking back on the summer when he sloughed the coverings of a boy and took his first faltering steps as a man among a rich cast of characters and an ambitious effort to reclaim a once great community"--… (more)
Genres
User reviews
LibraryThing member linda.marsheells
Lots of other reviews include summaries so i will refrain from repeating the storyline. Family and friends- ties fractured, healed, re-newed,and snapped, in the hills and woods of KY. Centered around a 14 year old Kevin.
And yet it is so much more than that...so much more.
Scotton should not be
When you finish this book you'll need to take a minute to let it settle in your heart.
Just one BUT. For a book as long as this is the ending felt a bit rushed....sadly rushed.
And yet it is so much more than that...so much more.
Scotton should not be
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labeled a writer, not a storyteller, he is instead an incredible weaver of words that lure you in and make you feel included. When you finish this book you'll need to take a minute to let it settle in your heart.
Just one BUT. For a book as long as this is the ending felt a bit rushed....sadly rushed.
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LibraryThing member bwhitner
This wa a good book. At times it moved a bit slow. It was about a boy named Kevin whose brother has died tragically. He and his mother move in with his grandfather so his mom can get better. She is a little off since Kevin's brother died. Lots of things happen in this book that keep you reading,
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but I found there were lulls, especially at the end. I did enjoy the book. I enjoyed the relationship that Kevin and his grandfather built. I believe that relationship saved him. I liked most of the characters. Show Less
LibraryThing member refice
I thought The Secret Wisdom of the Earth was a marvelous book and awarded it my highest rating, four stars!
The action is set in rural Kentucky where inhabitants are trying to find a balance between environmental conservancy and the profitable business of strip mining. Hostilities between entrenched
What really sets this novel apart though is Scotton’s character development of his protagonists. He brings Medgar, Kentucky and its residents to life with beautifully constructed passages of lyrical and descriptive prose. We root for Kevin as he copes with misplaced guilt following the horrific accidental death of his toddler brother. Our heart breaks for Annie, catatonic with grief at the loss of her son. And we nod our heads in agreement with Pops, Kevin’s grandfather, as he spouts mild-mannered wisdom for his emotionally broken family. I literally could not put the story down during the harrowing escape from the mountains after a camping trip gone bad.
I disagree with reviews saying it is a slow read. I hated having to put it down.
Scotton hit a home run with his debut novel!
The action is set in rural Kentucky where inhabitants are trying to find a balance between environmental conservancy and the profitable business of strip mining. Hostilities between entrenched
Show More
hill people and broader minded townies erupt in the murder of a local activist, who also happens to be gay. The repercussions of the murder alter lives in ways well beyond the scope of environmentalist versus industrialist.What really sets this novel apart though is Scotton’s character development of his protagonists. He brings Medgar, Kentucky and its residents to life with beautifully constructed passages of lyrical and descriptive prose. We root for Kevin as he copes with misplaced guilt following the horrific accidental death of his toddler brother. Our heart breaks for Annie, catatonic with grief at the loss of her son. And we nod our heads in agreement with Pops, Kevin’s grandfather, as he spouts mild-mannered wisdom for his emotionally broken family. I literally could not put the story down during the harrowing escape from the mountains after a camping trip gone bad.
I disagree with reviews saying it is a slow read. I hated having to put it down.
Scotton hit a home run with his debut novel!
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LibraryThing member shazjhb
I liked this book. Not everyone is saved and there are no easy answers. A good read.
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LibraryThing member JudithDCollins
THE SECRET WISDOM OF THE EARTH by talentedChristopher Scotton, is a highly recommended compelling, multi-layered coming-of-age epic debut, crossing many genres.
A deeply-moving story, with a powerful voice of adult Kevin, main protagonist, telling his story--with a "heart of gold", and as big as
Set in Kentucky in the 1980s, after the horrific death of Kevin’s younger brother, now 14 years old, he moves with his distraught mother to the rural Kentucky home of his grandfather. It is here he meets a local boy Buzzy and they two become friends; introducing him to all things the rural mountain area has to offer, from fishing, hunting, and country living.
However, what he does find is troubling, making him confused. The people are backward thinking, narrow minded, filled with hate, rage, racists, and bigotry. This pair slowly is drawn into the local politics of the good ole’ boys at the heights of the coal mountaintop removal mining in the rural Appalachia Mountains, and the death of a local gay guy, (and much loved citizen).
A small town mix of good and evil; from witty, humorous, rednecks, hillbillies, racists, activists, gays, bigots, and those without education and forward thinking—a murderer. A variety of viewpoints, in one small town --spells TROUBLE.
An emotional and heartfelt journey of a grandfather and grandson. Pops, Kevin’s grandfather, a veterinarian and a mentor for Kevin introducing him to a world he knows nothing of, along with his friend, Buz. With an array of characters from Boyd’s Mining (who is trying to buy up the land from locals),Paul, the local hairdresser (loved him), and environmental activists, for a fight which escalates, becoming personal and dangerous with a brutal murder. With many hard lessons, a young troubled boy, learns wisdom, tolerance, beauty, hope, and courage; in a world of ugliness, devastation, and hatred.
From the vivid settings, descriptions of the land, mountains, and nature combined with beautiful narrative, Scotton delivers an extraordinary tale which will remain with you long after the book ends
A gifted new author with a "winner out of the gate," takes readers on a journey of "human compassion, resilience, redemption, and the power of family.” An author I look forward to following for years to come
A deeply-moving story, with a powerful voice of adult Kevin, main protagonist, telling his story--with a "heart of gold", and as big as
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the mountains; matched perfectly by audio narrator,Robert Petkoff, delivering an award-winning performance! This southern classic is a "must read" and guaranteed to win your heart. Set in Kentucky in the 1980s, after the horrific death of Kevin’s younger brother, now 14 years old, he moves with his distraught mother to the rural Kentucky home of his grandfather. It is here he meets a local boy Buzzy and they two become friends; introducing him to all things the rural mountain area has to offer, from fishing, hunting, and country living.
However, what he does find is troubling, making him confused. The people are backward thinking, narrow minded, filled with hate, rage, racists, and bigotry. This pair slowly is drawn into the local politics of the good ole’ boys at the heights of the coal mountaintop removal mining in the rural Appalachia Mountains, and the death of a local gay guy, (and much loved citizen).
A small town mix of good and evil; from witty, humorous, rednecks, hillbillies, racists, activists, gays, bigots, and those without education and forward thinking—a murderer. A variety of viewpoints, in one small town --spells TROUBLE.
An emotional and heartfelt journey of a grandfather and grandson. Pops, Kevin’s grandfather, a veterinarian and a mentor for Kevin introducing him to a world he knows nothing of, along with his friend, Buz. With an array of characters from Boyd’s Mining (who is trying to buy up the land from locals),Paul, the local hairdresser (loved him), and environmental activists, for a fight which escalates, becoming personal and dangerous with a brutal murder. With many hard lessons, a young troubled boy, learns wisdom, tolerance, beauty, hope, and courage; in a world of ugliness, devastation, and hatred.
From the vivid settings, descriptions of the land, mountains, and nature combined with beautiful narrative, Scotton delivers an extraordinary tale which will remain with you long after the book ends
A gifted new author with a "winner out of the gate," takes readers on a journey of "human compassion, resilience, redemption, and the power of family.” An author I look forward to following for years to come
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LibraryThing member Patrusca
I almost didn't read this after seeing it was the authors first book but the fly leaf sounded interesting. I am so glad I read it, what a great book.
LibraryThing member DavidO1103
Family tragedy (younger brother dies in an accident), boy and his mother go to live with maternal grandfather (a country vet) in a town dominated by mining co now doing mountaintop removal. Lovely story.
LibraryThing member Alphawoman
I absolutely loved this book. I have a bad habit of flipping to the back of the book to check how many more pages I have left until the entire book is read. I did nothing of the sort with this gratifying tale of family loss, young friendships, small towns, coal mining, and bravery. I just loved it
BTW read it in two days.
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can't say enough good things about this wonderful story.BTW read it in two days.
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LibraryThing member tututhefirst
In his stunning debut novel, Christopher Scotton has given us a powerful story of life, death, greed, family relations, friendship and growing up. Set in rural Appalachian Kentucky, we meet people who are trying to honor their roots, raise and feed their families, preserve a way of life, and
I was blown away by this one. The camping, hiking, hunting, tramping scenes are not subjects I'm normally fond of, but Scotton's descriptions and his ability to spin not only believable but spectacular dialogue made this one a true page turner for me.
There are heart-wrenching and poignant scenes of incredible sadness. There are heart-warming and rewarding scenes of astonishing acts of friendship. There are scenes of such devotion, love and bravery that I was often on the verge of tears.
After his younger brother dies in a horrifying accident, fourteen year old Kevin and his mother come to Medgar Kentucky to spend the summer with his grandfather, hoping to help each of them mend. Here they encounter a town caught in a battle over strip-mining, leveling the surrounding mountains, and polluting the waterways. The opposition is led by a recently outed homosexual in this small-town, Bible-belted setting. Here Kevin meets Buzzy Fink, outdoorsman extraordinaire. Buzzy witnesses a horrific crime and struggles with what to do with the knowledge. On a harrowing camping trip with Grandpa, both boys learn their true strength, both moral and physical.
An adult Kevin narrates the story, giving us the benefit of his hindsight, but never lets us loose the pit-of-the-stomach moments the teenagers experience.
Definitely one of the best books of the year for me. I was so enamored, I also borrowed the audio from the public library. The narrator, Robert Petkoff, gives us the pitch perfect accents of the areas, varies the voices so the listener is never in doubt about who is speaking, and cements this debut novel in the top ranks of literary fiction for 2015.
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teach the next generation the value of the land and its resources.I was blown away by this one. The camping, hiking, hunting, tramping scenes are not subjects I'm normally fond of, but Scotton's descriptions and his ability to spin not only believable but spectacular dialogue made this one a true page turner for me.
There are heart-wrenching and poignant scenes of incredible sadness. There are heart-warming and rewarding scenes of astonishing acts of friendship. There are scenes of such devotion, love and bravery that I was often on the verge of tears.
After his younger brother dies in a horrifying accident, fourteen year old Kevin and his mother come to Medgar Kentucky to spend the summer with his grandfather, hoping to help each of them mend. Here they encounter a town caught in a battle over strip-mining, leveling the surrounding mountains, and polluting the waterways. The opposition is led by a recently outed homosexual in this small-town, Bible-belted setting. Here Kevin meets Buzzy Fink, outdoorsman extraordinaire. Buzzy witnesses a horrific crime and struggles with what to do with the knowledge. On a harrowing camping trip with Grandpa, both boys learn their true strength, both moral and physical.
An adult Kevin narrates the story, giving us the benefit of his hindsight, but never lets us loose the pit-of-the-stomach moments the teenagers experience.
Definitely one of the best books of the year for me. I was so enamored, I also borrowed the audio from the public library. The narrator, Robert Petkoff, gives us the pitch perfect accents of the areas, varies the voices so the listener is never in doubt about who is speaking, and cements this debut novel in the top ranks of literary fiction for 2015.
Show Less
LibraryThing member thewanderingjew
The Secret Wisdom of the Earth, Christopher Scotton, Robert Petkoff, narrator
Although there are many themes in this novel, homophobia, the environment, an array of human emotions, devotion, life and death, good and evil, it really works because it is also a story about a grandfather and a grandson,
The generational divide disappears as the older man teaches the younger one to appreciate the natural world around him and how to survive within it. The author has given the reader the gift of watching them as they bond in a world that is alive with nature’s bounty. Also, we will be given a view into an Appalachian coal town, not only its beauty and its mountains, but into the world of its poverty stricken inhabitants who are inbred, illiterate and therefore unworldly and locked into a downward spiral from which it is difficult to escape.
It is 1985, Kevin Gillooly is 14 ½ years old; his 3 year old brother was killed in a horrifying freak accident, witnessed by Kevin and his mother, two months before. She has never recovered and has retreated into herself. Kevin’s dad is taking them from their home in Indiana to his mom’s family home for the summer, in the fictional mining town of Medgar, Kentucky, in the heart of Appalachia, to stay with her dad, Arthur Peebles, a former war hero, now a Veterinarian. They are hoping this change of scenery will help her snap out of her ever present stupor. Although Kevin barely shows it, he is actually guilt ridden because both his parents blame him for the death of his brother, Joshua. Arthur Peebles still mourns the death of his wife, decades later, so he understands his daughter’s grief very well. Her mom died giving birth to her, but unlike Kevin’s parents who assigned blame to Kevin, Arthur did not blame Annie for the death of her mother, his one true love.
Over the next few months, Kevin and his granddad, Pops, grow very close. He begins to accompany him on his veterinary rounds, and he learns a great deal about people and human nature, about how they treat each other and how they treat their animals. His granddad teaches him how to fish, trap and hike. He promises to take him on “the tramp” before the summer’s end, camping, fishing and living off the land alone. The reader is privileged to watch the beautiful relationship that develops between the older man, a seeming clone of the original Atticus Finch, and his grandson, as he teaches him the traditions and skills that only a grandfather in that part of the country could, that only one with the infinite patience of Arthur could. He seems to have the right sort of response for all circumstances. He is well respected in town and his influence is strong. Add Audy Rae to this mix and discover Arthur’s longtime housekeeper who is filled with the milk of human kindness and the story takes off. Surrounded by these loving characters, Kevin will begin to grow as he learns to appreciate the beauty of the country surrounding him at the same time as he begins to notice the destruction of the landscape around him and recognize that it is caused by the coal mining companies. They, blow off the tops of the mountains, contaminating the community without a second thought but for their own greed.
When Buzzy Fink enters Kevin’s life, all of the ingredients for his summer of growing up fall into place. Buzzy Fink comes from a poor family of good people. He lives in “Fink’s Hollow”. His family expects him to accomplish something, to behave properly and not to make trouble. His grandmother has taught him many homespun recipes for cures and many homespun superstitions as well, and they all come in handy. Buzzy seems far older than his 15 years, and with his mischievous behavior, he helps Kevin learn how to feel again. When necessary, he exhibits the rare courage few grown men possess, although it is Buzzy’s brother, Cleo, who is the town hero, for his athletic prowess. Yet, it was Buzzy’s courage that eventually forced Kevin to find his own brave heart.
Bubba Boyd was a bully as a youth and as an adult he still is a bully. He is the rich man behind the coal mine that is destroying the environment around them. He is trying to buy out all the landowners to expand his mine. He has no real interest in the town. He ignores the health issues that his mining has caused. For him the mine is really a matter of life and death. He blackmails the townspeople with promises of jobs and benefits to help them, but then does not accept responsibility when they suffer and die from the effects of the mine and the mining.
Paul Pierce (Mr. Paul), is a part owner with his cousin, Miss Janey, in the Paris Salon. He lives with his partner, Paitsel, a former baseball hero, and is the rare brave soul who is willing to fight big money and the bully, Bubba Boyd. Paul is leading the effort to stop Bubba’s rape of their land, blowing off the tops of the mountains and turning their landscape into a barren wasteland. He is contaminating their water supply and there are excessive amounts of disease as a result of the mine work and the environmental contamination. At one of the meetings, Bubba comes in and shuts it down because he owns the building and tells them that they can’t meet there. He insults the government representative, calling him a Jew boy, a heritage he vehemently denies. Then he reveals what was once an “open secret” in the town, and with its sudden public pronouncement, the town reels, humiliated. Arthur stops the shameful display of prejudice, but what follows afterward is a brutal murder which further shakes the townsfolk and the town to its core and reveals its deep seated hypocrisy.
Tilroy is a teenager from a more typical backward family in Appalachia. He makes wonderful drawings for Mr. Paul. He is a boy conflicted by his enormous artistic talent, his sexual confusion and his background of poverty and ignorance. He is the town bully and troublemaker. He is the prime example of society’s failure.
The beauty and the dangers of the natural world are explored alongside what some characters considered the unnatural behavior of human beings. The need to respect the environment is well developed, and the absence of respect for all human beings leads to tragedy. The stupidity of homophobia and of uneducated and extreme religious views, are also illuminated in the wake of the tragedy. Peer pressure and public shaming cause tragic behavior. Guilt, fear, bravery, good and evil are covered at turns, as well.
There are several tragedies that occur in this book, and most are vicious and violently described. Yet, they are dealt with in such a way that the reader is able to cope with them without wanting to look away. The deaths are an important part of the direction of the narrative. Blame, as well as praise, is often placed on the most obvious suspect, but that is often a trick of the eye or a blind eye on the issues. Hypocrisy is so rampant it will anger the reader at times, but all of the issues are dealt with well and appropriately. The harrowing details of Arthur’s rescue by his grandson and his friend sometimes stretch credibility, but the reader might just think, yes, it could happen that way, even when some of the details seemed unfathomable.
There is magic afoot with the appearance of an albino stag with huge antlers. He guides Kevin when he is in danger. When their eyes met, Kevin believed the deer carried within him “the secret wisdom of the earth”. Was the animal real or a figment of Kevin’s imagination to give him courage? No one else saw it.
After the terribly brutal murder of Mr. Paul, the arc of the story takes a different direction as the mystery of “whodunit” develops. While Pops, Kevin and Buzzy are on the tramp they are suddenly being watched and tracked. As they are hunted and they attempt to escape, they must stare down their own fear as the pressure mounts. Kevin must rescue Arthur, Buzzy must find their predator, will they all survive? Sometimes this part of the story took me back to memories of the movie “Deliverance” with all of its tense moments.
The book takes the reader from one century to the next, starting with the birth of Anna and Arthur, early in the 1900’s and ending in 2014, when they returned to Medgar for a funeral and brief reunion with Buzzy.
The narrator, Robert Petkoff was excellent. He absolutely identified each character in his/her own unique way and spoke the words with just the right emphasis and tone for each of them at every moment. This author has written a book that it is hard to put down!
Although there are many themes in this novel, homophobia, the environment, an array of human emotions, devotion, life and death, good and evil, it really works because it is also a story about a grandfather and a grandson,
Show More
their love for each other and the lengths to which they will go to hold onto that love. The book is poignant and humorous at just the right times so as not to make it cloying.The generational divide disappears as the older man teaches the younger one to appreciate the natural world around him and how to survive within it. The author has given the reader the gift of watching them as they bond in a world that is alive with nature’s bounty. Also, we will be given a view into an Appalachian coal town, not only its beauty and its mountains, but into the world of its poverty stricken inhabitants who are inbred, illiterate and therefore unworldly and locked into a downward spiral from which it is difficult to escape.
It is 1985, Kevin Gillooly is 14 ½ years old; his 3 year old brother was killed in a horrifying freak accident, witnessed by Kevin and his mother, two months before. She has never recovered and has retreated into herself. Kevin’s dad is taking them from their home in Indiana to his mom’s family home for the summer, in the fictional mining town of Medgar, Kentucky, in the heart of Appalachia, to stay with her dad, Arthur Peebles, a former war hero, now a Veterinarian. They are hoping this change of scenery will help her snap out of her ever present stupor. Although Kevin barely shows it, he is actually guilt ridden because both his parents blame him for the death of his brother, Joshua. Arthur Peebles still mourns the death of his wife, decades later, so he understands his daughter’s grief very well. Her mom died giving birth to her, but unlike Kevin’s parents who assigned blame to Kevin, Arthur did not blame Annie for the death of her mother, his one true love.
Over the next few months, Kevin and his granddad, Pops, grow very close. He begins to accompany him on his veterinary rounds, and he learns a great deal about people and human nature, about how they treat each other and how they treat their animals. His granddad teaches him how to fish, trap and hike. He promises to take him on “the tramp” before the summer’s end, camping, fishing and living off the land alone. The reader is privileged to watch the beautiful relationship that develops between the older man, a seeming clone of the original Atticus Finch, and his grandson, as he teaches him the traditions and skills that only a grandfather in that part of the country could, that only one with the infinite patience of Arthur could. He seems to have the right sort of response for all circumstances. He is well respected in town and his influence is strong. Add Audy Rae to this mix and discover Arthur’s longtime housekeeper who is filled with the milk of human kindness and the story takes off. Surrounded by these loving characters, Kevin will begin to grow as he learns to appreciate the beauty of the country surrounding him at the same time as he begins to notice the destruction of the landscape around him and recognize that it is caused by the coal mining companies. They, blow off the tops of the mountains, contaminating the community without a second thought but for their own greed.
When Buzzy Fink enters Kevin’s life, all of the ingredients for his summer of growing up fall into place. Buzzy Fink comes from a poor family of good people. He lives in “Fink’s Hollow”. His family expects him to accomplish something, to behave properly and not to make trouble. His grandmother has taught him many homespun recipes for cures and many homespun superstitions as well, and they all come in handy. Buzzy seems far older than his 15 years, and with his mischievous behavior, he helps Kevin learn how to feel again. When necessary, he exhibits the rare courage few grown men possess, although it is Buzzy’s brother, Cleo, who is the town hero, for his athletic prowess. Yet, it was Buzzy’s courage that eventually forced Kevin to find his own brave heart.
Bubba Boyd was a bully as a youth and as an adult he still is a bully. He is the rich man behind the coal mine that is destroying the environment around them. He is trying to buy out all the landowners to expand his mine. He has no real interest in the town. He ignores the health issues that his mining has caused. For him the mine is really a matter of life and death. He blackmails the townspeople with promises of jobs and benefits to help them, but then does not accept responsibility when they suffer and die from the effects of the mine and the mining.
Paul Pierce (Mr. Paul), is a part owner with his cousin, Miss Janey, in the Paris Salon. He lives with his partner, Paitsel, a former baseball hero, and is the rare brave soul who is willing to fight big money and the bully, Bubba Boyd. Paul is leading the effort to stop Bubba’s rape of their land, blowing off the tops of the mountains and turning their landscape into a barren wasteland. He is contaminating their water supply and there are excessive amounts of disease as a result of the mine work and the environmental contamination. At one of the meetings, Bubba comes in and shuts it down because he owns the building and tells them that they can’t meet there. He insults the government representative, calling him a Jew boy, a heritage he vehemently denies. Then he reveals what was once an “open secret” in the town, and with its sudden public pronouncement, the town reels, humiliated. Arthur stops the shameful display of prejudice, but what follows afterward is a brutal murder which further shakes the townsfolk and the town to its core and reveals its deep seated hypocrisy.
Tilroy is a teenager from a more typical backward family in Appalachia. He makes wonderful drawings for Mr. Paul. He is a boy conflicted by his enormous artistic talent, his sexual confusion and his background of poverty and ignorance. He is the town bully and troublemaker. He is the prime example of society’s failure.
The beauty and the dangers of the natural world are explored alongside what some characters considered the unnatural behavior of human beings. The need to respect the environment is well developed, and the absence of respect for all human beings leads to tragedy. The stupidity of homophobia and of uneducated and extreme religious views, are also illuminated in the wake of the tragedy. Peer pressure and public shaming cause tragic behavior. Guilt, fear, bravery, good and evil are covered at turns, as well.
There are several tragedies that occur in this book, and most are vicious and violently described. Yet, they are dealt with in such a way that the reader is able to cope with them without wanting to look away. The deaths are an important part of the direction of the narrative. Blame, as well as praise, is often placed on the most obvious suspect, but that is often a trick of the eye or a blind eye on the issues. Hypocrisy is so rampant it will anger the reader at times, but all of the issues are dealt with well and appropriately. The harrowing details of Arthur’s rescue by his grandson and his friend sometimes stretch credibility, but the reader might just think, yes, it could happen that way, even when some of the details seemed unfathomable.
There is magic afoot with the appearance of an albino stag with huge antlers. He guides Kevin when he is in danger. When their eyes met, Kevin believed the deer carried within him “the secret wisdom of the earth”. Was the animal real or a figment of Kevin’s imagination to give him courage? No one else saw it.
After the terribly brutal murder of Mr. Paul, the arc of the story takes a different direction as the mystery of “whodunit” develops. While Pops, Kevin and Buzzy are on the tramp they are suddenly being watched and tracked. As they are hunted and they attempt to escape, they must stare down their own fear as the pressure mounts. Kevin must rescue Arthur, Buzzy must find their predator, will they all survive? Sometimes this part of the story took me back to memories of the movie “Deliverance” with all of its tense moments.
The book takes the reader from one century to the next, starting with the birth of Anna and Arthur, early in the 1900’s and ending in 2014, when they returned to Medgar for a funeral and brief reunion with Buzzy.
The narrator, Robert Petkoff was excellent. He absolutely identified each character in his/her own unique way and spoke the words with just the right emphasis and tone for each of them at every moment. This author has written a book that it is hard to put down!
Show Less
LibraryThing member bnbookgirl
THE BEST BOOK I HAVE READ IN YEARS!!!! I can't possibly say enough good things about this story. It is a coming-of-age story that takes place in the mountains of Kentucky. It is also a story of a hate crime, over-mining, family, death, and so much more. The characters are brilliantly written (their
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names are hilarious) and the setting is stunning. If you like To Kill a Mockingbird or Whistling Past the Graveyard, you will find this novel almost impossible to put down. I will recommend this book to numerous customers. Show Less
LibraryThing member whitreidtan
A book club friend of mine raved about this book to me. I admit I was skeptical about the story even when she read aloud a beautiful passage. Appalachian tales are not generally in my wheelhouse. I looked at the jacket copy. "An act of violence" is one phrase that makes me run in the other
Fourteen year old Kevin and his mother move to Medgar, Kentucky for the summer to try and heal from the terrible tragedy of his younger brother's death. His father blames Kevin, his mother has retreated into herself, but his grandfather, into whose home they land, while also grieving, can see the bigger picture and can comfort this grandson who has to shoulder so much. As Kevin makes a local friend in Buzzy Fink and spends time with his wise and thoughtful grandfather, he slowly starts to become a regular teenager again. But if Medgar is healing Kevin, it is also a place where everything is changing. Long a mining community, now in the 80s, strip mining has come to Medgar, razing the tops of mountains, polluting the water, and raising tensions in the town between those who argue for the environment and protection of the mountain hollows and those who want the influx of jobs and money that this type of mining brings. The town can be short-sighted, bigoted, and narrow-minded but the situation, the need to create jobs to sustain the townsfolk, is a complicated one. When a local man, loved by some and reviled by others because of his homosexuality, who was very vocal about the underhandedness of the strip mining operation is murdered, tensions spill over and both good and evil and the difficult areas in between are exposed to Kevin, affecting him in ways he never could have predicted.
This novel was completely engrossing and hard to put down. Scotton beautifully draws small town Appalachia in the 80s and the competing concerns of living in such a place. He manages to raise moral, political, and social issues without preaching, wrapping a heart warming grandfather and grandson relationship story around such troubling things as homophobia and mining rights; the concepts of guilt, blame, and forgiveness; the hopefulness of healing, both of an individual and a community; and the value of the long, slow process of justice. Kevin is a sympathetic character and his friendship with Buzzy is wonderful. Pops, his grandfather, is magical, a touchstone for his hurting grandson. The tension and fight in the novel is personal, which makes it all that much more dangerous to everyone involved. The writing is richly descriptive, drawing the reader into the place both physically and in terms of its character and that of the people who inhabit it. The story is told retrospectively by an adult Kevin looking back at that formative summer but adult Kevin still captures the effect that events had on teenaged Kevin in such a way that the reader forgets that it isn't being narrated in the present. That Scotton offers no easy answers for the issues he raises and manages to create sympathy for several characters the reader wants to despise is a real testament to his talent. A beautiful coming of age tale, this is one not to be missed.
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direction, about as fast as possible. I checked out the cover art. It looked a little new agey or maybe washed out, dull with the watercolors. It just didn't call to me. I wasn't sold. So I had decided that I was probably not going to read this one when it showed up on my doorstep and demanded to be read. The universe obviously didn't agree with my decision. And I have to say I am so glad to have been over-ruled!Fourteen year old Kevin and his mother move to Medgar, Kentucky for the summer to try and heal from the terrible tragedy of his younger brother's death. His father blames Kevin, his mother has retreated into herself, but his grandfather, into whose home they land, while also grieving, can see the bigger picture and can comfort this grandson who has to shoulder so much. As Kevin makes a local friend in Buzzy Fink and spends time with his wise and thoughtful grandfather, he slowly starts to become a regular teenager again. But if Medgar is healing Kevin, it is also a place where everything is changing. Long a mining community, now in the 80s, strip mining has come to Medgar, razing the tops of mountains, polluting the water, and raising tensions in the town between those who argue for the environment and protection of the mountain hollows and those who want the influx of jobs and money that this type of mining brings. The town can be short-sighted, bigoted, and narrow-minded but the situation, the need to create jobs to sustain the townsfolk, is a complicated one. When a local man, loved by some and reviled by others because of his homosexuality, who was very vocal about the underhandedness of the strip mining operation is murdered, tensions spill over and both good and evil and the difficult areas in between are exposed to Kevin, affecting him in ways he never could have predicted.
This novel was completely engrossing and hard to put down. Scotton beautifully draws small town Appalachia in the 80s and the competing concerns of living in such a place. He manages to raise moral, political, and social issues without preaching, wrapping a heart warming grandfather and grandson relationship story around such troubling things as homophobia and mining rights; the concepts of guilt, blame, and forgiveness; the hopefulness of healing, both of an individual and a community; and the value of the long, slow process of justice. Kevin is a sympathetic character and his friendship with Buzzy is wonderful. Pops, his grandfather, is magical, a touchstone for his hurting grandson. The tension and fight in the novel is personal, which makes it all that much more dangerous to everyone involved. The writing is richly descriptive, drawing the reader into the place both physically and in terms of its character and that of the people who inhabit it. The story is told retrospectively by an adult Kevin looking back at that formative summer but adult Kevin still captures the effect that events had on teenaged Kevin in such a way that the reader forgets that it isn't being narrated in the present. That Scotton offers no easy answers for the issues he raises and manages to create sympathy for several characters the reader wants to despise is a real testament to his talent. A beautiful coming of age tale, this is one not to be missed.
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LibraryThing member Susan.Macura
I enjoy this book immensely. The story lines unfold in a very laid back way; similar to the lives lived in Kentucky. This is the story of Kevin and his time there in the mountains. There are a lot of tragedies involved here, too many to list, but it is a wonderful tale of survival, personal growth,
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love of family and what it means to be different, as well as how modern mining practices are destroying much of what is great in those mountains. Excellent book. Show Less
LibraryThing member jmoncton
There was much this book had going for it. Set in Appalachia in a small coal mining town, the book does a fantastic job of creating a vivid and realistic setting. The plot is mesmerizing -- a 14 year old boy and his mother spend the summer with his grandfather after they witness the tragic accident
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that results in the death of his brother. The town is gradually fading away, as jobs become scarce and it seems like the new method of mining -- blowing the tops off mountains to access the coal from above -- might be the solution to help the economy. There is a conflict between environmentalists and greed. And there is constant action to keep the plot moving. But what I didn't like is that so many of the characters and even plot twists seemed cliche. One of the most ardent environmentalists is Paul, a gay man, who happens to be a hairdresser. The mine owner is fat and evil. The grandfather is wise and gentle and could be a double for Atticus Finch. And the help Kevin receives when lost in the woods almost made me stop reading the book. Definitely a strong debut novel, but it could have been a classic with a more nuanced execution. Show Less
LibraryThing member judysh
A most beautifully written book. We grow, along with the characters, as the writer takes us through the novel.
LibraryThing member pdebolt
This multi-layered debut novel is set deep in the Appalachian Mountains when a grieving woman and her adolescent son return to her childhood home. They are suffering an inconsolable loss and return in the hope that time and the compassionate wisdom of their family, particularly Pops, will provide
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healing. The Secret Wisdom of the Earth is replete with the politics involved with mining the coal in the mountains and a homophobia that results in violence. Tensions in the community are rampant as we also watch the private dramas unfolding within the family. I found the book to be somewhat tedious in parts and rushed at the end. I am grateful to Goodreads and the Hatchette Book Group for the opportunity to review this book. Show Less
LibraryThing member muddyboy
A novel with two plots, one involving the murder of a gay hairdresser in a small town in Kentucky and the other involves a mining company that further want to further rape the beauty of the surrounding mountains. For the first half of the book I really loved it but when the main character (Kevin)
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goes to the mountains with his best friend (Buzzy) and his grandfather, this section of the book seems never ending until they ultimately make it back to civilization. Everything is wrapped up neatly at the end. A four hundred fifty plus page book that should have been well less than four hundred pages. Show Less
LibraryThing member RodRaglin
Lacks intensity and focus
Fourteen year-old Kevin and his mother have come to live with his grandfather in Kentucky for the summer to try to heal after the tragic death of his three year-old brother.
"Pops" is a veterinarian in the small coal-mining town of Medgar, deep in the Appalachians.
His
It soon becomes apparent the town is split between those who support the coal baron who provides jobs and economic activity and those opposed because of the environmental degradation caused by the new technique of blowing the tops off mountains to get at the coal rather then sink shafts and extracting it.
The tension mounts and culminates in the murder of a popular opponent to the mining. It's a complicated situation for a fourteen year-old and it tests his courage and his integrity.
Christopher Scotton has done a good job on describing the lifestyle of rural Kentucky as well as damage to the environment of this new type of mountain top removal mining.
Though the dialogue sounds authentic the characterization of many of his major characters is clichéd.
The novel seems to lack intensity and I found myself skimming pages to get to some meaningful action. Finally when it happens I found the motivation and unfolding of events went beyond this readers suspension of disbelief.
Then, when the story appears to be about to end naturally Scotton for some reason feels compelled to let the reader know how it all works out for everyone in the future.
Endings are difficult but in this case Scotton would have been better leaving the future to the reader's imagination.
Fourteen year-old Kevin and his mother have come to live with his grandfather in Kentucky for the summer to try to heal after the tragic death of his three year-old brother.
"Pops" is a veterinarian in the small coal-mining town of Medgar, deep in the Appalachians.
His
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grandfather is wise and compassionate and soon Kevin is helping him with his rounds, getting acquainted with the area and making friends. It soon becomes apparent the town is split between those who support the coal baron who provides jobs and economic activity and those opposed because of the environmental degradation caused by the new technique of blowing the tops off mountains to get at the coal rather then sink shafts and extracting it.
The tension mounts and culminates in the murder of a popular opponent to the mining. It's a complicated situation for a fourteen year-old and it tests his courage and his integrity.
Christopher Scotton has done a good job on describing the lifestyle of rural Kentucky as well as damage to the environment of this new type of mountain top removal mining.
Though the dialogue sounds authentic the characterization of many of his major characters is clichéd.
The novel seems to lack intensity and I found myself skimming pages to get to some meaningful action. Finally when it happens I found the motivation and unfolding of events went beyond this readers suspension of disbelief.
Then, when the story appears to be about to end naturally Scotton for some reason feels compelled to let the reader know how it all works out for everyone in the future.
Endings are difficult but in this case Scotton would have been better leaving the future to the reader's imagination.
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LibraryThing member SheTreadsSoftly
The Secret Wisdom of the Earth by Christopher Scotton is a very highly recommended multilayered coming-of-age tale that incorporates many other themes.
It is 1985 and 14 year old Kevin Gillooly has moved with his mother to her hometown of Medgar, Kentucky to stay with her father after the death of
"It had been two months since my brother, Joshua, was killed, and the invulnerability I had felt as a teenager was only a curl of memory. Mom had folded into herself on the way back from the hospital and had barely spoken since. My father emerged from silent disbelief and was diligently weaving his anger into a smothering blanket for everyone he touched, especially me. My life then was an inventory of eggshells and expectations unmet.
Pops, my maternal grandfather, suggested Mom and I spend the summer with him in the hope that memories of her own invulnerable childhood would help her heal. It was one of the few decisions on which my father and grandfather had ever agreed."
Pops, Kevin’s grandfather, is a veterinarian, concentrating on large animals now. Kevin is introduced to good books and hired as an assistant by his astute, perceptive grandfather. Kevin also meets Buzzy Fink, a friend who helps Kevin explore the woods and mountains and tells him some of the local legends and introduces him to folk medicine.
If The Secret Wisdom of the Earth simply covered Kevin's healing it would still be an insightful coming-of-age story, but Kevin's recovery is a small part of the story. Much like life, the novel is much more complex than that. Medgar, Kentucky is also a long time coal mining area. Currently the rich coal veins in the mines are played out, but Bubba Boyd's Monongahela Mining Company now retrieves coal by mountaintop removal, a practice that requires blowing up the mountain and leaving a destroyed and poisoned landscape behind. Boyd is trying to buy up land from the locals. Paul Pierce, a local hairdresser and environmental activist, is aggressively trying to stop Boyd when Boyd uses Pierce's homosexuality to attack him personally. The fight becomes personal, lethal, and much more complicated. Adding to these storylines are the descriptions of the local small town and hillbilly culture.
The Secret Wisdom of the Earth is an exceptional debut novel. The coming-of-age story is seamlessly blended into the narrative that also shows how people can be manipulated and public opinion swayed when they don't have the meddle to stick to their convictions. Scotton weaves a story that encompasses loss, love, tradition, greed, empathy, and redemption, while showing the importance of nature and the path of a confused boy turning toward becoming a wise man.
The writing is excellent, descriptive and powerful. The writing will capture your attention and the story will hold it until the narrative reaches a point that you will be utterly compelled to keep reading in order to find out what happens next. Scotton manages a few surprises along the way, but he also concludes the novel nicely, setting the characters in the present, looking back at that summer of monumental changes.
Disclosure: My Kindle edition was courtesy of Grand Central Publishing for review purposes.
It is 1985 and 14 year old Kevin Gillooly has moved with his mother to her hometown of Medgar, Kentucky to stay with her father after the death of
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her other son, Kevin’s three-year-old brother. Kevin's mother is still in mourning and in a deep depression. Kevin's father cruelly blames Kevin for the accidental death."It had been two months since my brother, Joshua, was killed, and the invulnerability I had felt as a teenager was only a curl of memory. Mom had folded into herself on the way back from the hospital and had barely spoken since. My father emerged from silent disbelief and was diligently weaving his anger into a smothering blanket for everyone he touched, especially me. My life then was an inventory of eggshells and expectations unmet.
Pops, my maternal grandfather, suggested Mom and I spend the summer with him in the hope that memories of her own invulnerable childhood would help her heal. It was one of the few decisions on which my father and grandfather had ever agreed."
Pops, Kevin’s grandfather, is a veterinarian, concentrating on large animals now. Kevin is introduced to good books and hired as an assistant by his astute, perceptive grandfather. Kevin also meets Buzzy Fink, a friend who helps Kevin explore the woods and mountains and tells him some of the local legends and introduces him to folk medicine.
If The Secret Wisdom of the Earth simply covered Kevin's healing it would still be an insightful coming-of-age story, but Kevin's recovery is a small part of the story. Much like life, the novel is much more complex than that. Medgar, Kentucky is also a long time coal mining area. Currently the rich coal veins in the mines are played out, but Bubba Boyd's Monongahela Mining Company now retrieves coal by mountaintop removal, a practice that requires blowing up the mountain and leaving a destroyed and poisoned landscape behind. Boyd is trying to buy up land from the locals. Paul Pierce, a local hairdresser and environmental activist, is aggressively trying to stop Boyd when Boyd uses Pierce's homosexuality to attack him personally. The fight becomes personal, lethal, and much more complicated. Adding to these storylines are the descriptions of the local small town and hillbilly culture.
The Secret Wisdom of the Earth is an exceptional debut novel. The coming-of-age story is seamlessly blended into the narrative that also shows how people can be manipulated and public opinion swayed when they don't have the meddle to stick to their convictions. Scotton weaves a story that encompasses loss, love, tradition, greed, empathy, and redemption, while showing the importance of nature and the path of a confused boy turning toward becoming a wise man.
The writing is excellent, descriptive and powerful. The writing will capture your attention and the story will hold it until the narrative reaches a point that you will be utterly compelled to keep reading in order to find out what happens next. Scotton manages a few surprises along the way, but he also concludes the novel nicely, setting the characters in the present, looking back at that summer of monumental changes.
Disclosure: My Kindle edition was courtesy of Grand Central Publishing for review purposes.
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LibraryThing member zmagic69
Wow, what a surprise of a book. The story begins in 1985 in eastern Kentucky and is about a boy and his mother who go to live with his mother's father after the death of the boy's little brother. The book is about redemption, strip mining, the power of family, and the evils of hatred.
I was
I look forward to his next book.
I was
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surprised that this was the author's first book, and even more surprised that he is not from this part of the country. The only downside to the book was it was a little to long in the middle.I look forward to his next book.
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LibraryThing member techeditor
I cannot praise THE SECRET WISDOM OF THE EARTH enough. What a wonderful novel!
After a horrific accident,14-year-old Kevin and his mother go to Kentucky to spend the summer with her father, Kevin’s grandfather "Pops.” The story develops with the friendship between Kevin and a boy his age, Buzzy,
Do yourself a favor: read this book. Then you will be happy to know that the author, Christopher Scotton, is writing another.
After a horrific accident,14-year-old Kevin and his mother go to Kentucky to spend the summer with her father, Kevin’s grandfather "Pops.” The story develops with the friendship between Kevin and a boy his age, Buzzy,
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from a poor but proud hillbilly family in the area. But this is not just a coming-of-age story. It’s also about the wisdom and intelligence of Pops, small-town life, beautiful mountains and lakes being destroyed by “mountaintop removal,” hate crime, and rednecks and all coming to can’t-put-it-down pages describing a hiking trip in the mountains and Buzzy’s and Kevin’s struggle to save Pops.Do yourself a favor: read this book. Then you will be happy to know that the author, Christopher Scotton, is writing another.
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LibraryThing member HunyBadger
loved it! As soon as I finished wanted to go back and read it again, slowly and savor all the things I blew by the first time.
LibraryThing member TheDivineOomba
First - this is 3.25 star book, but I'm rounding down to the incredibly stereotype characters.
Its an okay book. Nothing special, with themes that have been done better in other books. Most of it was bland, but a few standout scenes, specifically the ones concerning mountain top removal mining. It
The motivation of the characters were either convoluted (Tilroy) or non-existent (The kid, Kevin). Themes were dropped (Kevin's obsession with Pyromania), while others weren't given enough time to come together, so when the resolution came, it felt tacked with a large explosion, out of a tiny spark...
If this wasn't the book club choice of the month, I would have given up on this book. However, on initial discussion with members of my book club, some members really liked it, so I think this might be one of those books you love or hate.
Its an okay book. Nothing special, with themes that have been done better in other books. Most of it was bland, but a few standout scenes, specifically the ones concerning mountain top removal mining. It
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would have been a very interesting read if the author focused more on this aspect, instead of the mountain trip.The motivation of the characters were either convoluted (Tilroy) or non-existent (The kid, Kevin). Themes were dropped (Kevin's obsession with Pyromania), while others weren't given enough time to come together, so when the resolution came, it felt tacked with a large explosion, out of a tiny spark...
If this wasn't the book club choice of the month, I would have given up on this book. However, on initial discussion with members of my book club, some members really liked it, so I think this might be one of those books you love or hate.
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LibraryThing member JBarringer
I won a copy of this book through a Goodreads First Reads giveaway.
I really enjoyed this novel. It reminded me a lot of some of John Steinbeck's books, maybe not as tightly edited as Steinbeck's best work, but still easily on par with many of the classics I've read.
In this story, a 14 year old
I really enjoyed this novel. It reminded me a lot of some of John Steinbeck's books, maybe not as tightly edited as Steinbeck's best work, but still easily on par with many of the classics I've read.
In this story, a 14 year old
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boy and his mother move in with his mother's family in a small coal mining town in the Kentucky Appalachians after his brother's death. This book explores themes of grief and recovery, homosexuality, and environmental conservation. I found the story very well crafted, at least up until after the boy and his grandfather return from their harrowing adventure hiking in the national forest. I did think that after this point the book lost focus, and never really regained the same power and clarity after this point. Still, for a first novel, this was an excellent book, and the last few chapters after the hiking adventure are not enough of a weakness for me to knock off any stars on a 5 point scale. On my own 10 point rating system I gave this book an 8.3, which ranks it well above many of the excellent classic novels I've read so far. I'll be curious to read what this author publishes next. Show Less
LibraryThing member debs4jc
I easily got caught up in this story, especially the last part when the main character, 14 year old Kevin, has to pull of an amazing feat of survival and grit to save the lives of him, his grandfather, and his best friend. It starts out sedately enough - Kevin and his mother are staying with his
Kevin's feats near the end seemed of near mythical proportions, but it make for a very satisfying ending. For a good man versus nature and man versus man adventure it was quite thrilling. I also got emotionally drawn into the different residents of the town and their conflicts. I'd definitely recommend this read.
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grandfather - "Pops" - for the summer in an attempt to help his mother recover after the death of Kevin's younger brother. At first the reader doesn't know how Kevin's brother died and waiting for that secret to be revealed does build some nice tension early in the story. Even though Kevin is burdened by this secret he is also soon enjoying the more rural environment of his Grandfather's small community, and soon makes a best friend named Buzzy Fink. He and Buzzy have several adventures together, adventures where Kevin learns about the secrets of woods and mudholes and caves. Kevin also learns much from Pops about the character and relationships between the residents of the close knit community, as Kevin starts helping Pops with his work at a veterinarian. We soon learn that a local mining outfit is tearing up the area by "mountain top mining" - basically blasting off the tops of mountains to get the very last bit of coal out of them. Pops is strongly against this environmental travesty, a stance that sets him against some of the powerful men in the community. Pop's enemies, local bullies, and teenagers up to mischief create several tense moments in the book - but it all comes to a dramatic head when Pops, Kevin and Buzzy set off on a trek through the mountains near the end of the summer. They think they can escape into nature and leave their troubles behind for a while - but trouble finds them in a most dramatic and exciting series of events. Kevin's feats near the end seemed of near mythical proportions, but it make for a very satisfying ending. For a good man versus nature and man versus man adventure it was quite thrilling. I also got emotionally drawn into the different residents of the town and their conflicts. I'd definitely recommend this read.
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Original publication date
2015
ISBN
9781410478245