Review of Beyond the Higher Ground

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[Following is a volunteer review of "Beyond the Higher Ground" by Thomas A. Brigger.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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Tuck Mason is given the responsibility of supervising the construction of a prison on a lonely Virginia mountain after losing his wife and struggling mightily to overcome his grief. He decides to rent a house in the outlying portion of town rather than an apartment or house where the rest of his group is staying. Prior to being involved with some of the town's residents and their drug issue, he prefers to stick to himself and his memories rather than seeking out friendships or romantic relationships.

The book is a little rambling, with lots of things happening but little actual action. It's verbose. It's not a quick read; rather, it calls for some focus. The wording is elegant and compelling despite being a tad overblown. I felt a little bit proud of myself since I never once had to put the book down to look up a term. The narration will occasionally go back in time to show us Mason's past life when he and his wife were content with one another. With some interesting people, the narration vividly conveys the bleakness and difficulty of life in the Appalachian Mountains.

Also, this book is not a light read; there is a lot of hard reality in it. Realistically, which means not in a pleasant way, the different facets of the drug trade are discussed, as well as their effects on the people, who are primarily of lower socioeconomic status. There isn't any gratuitous violence or gore, and nothing is included for shock value. Even still, I was left with a deep sense of sadness since I know that incidents like these take very frequently in both the setting of the book and other regions of the nation.

I would be negligent if I failed to point out how amazing the writing is. Some of the sections include actual poetry, and I frequently found myself pausing to reread a sentence or two just to admire the elegance of the language.

Only when the main character didn't opt to remain and attempt to improve the lives of others there with whom he had grown close at the conclusion did I feel let down.

Nevertheless, I rate this book three out of four star.

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Beyond the Higher Ground
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