Sometimes there are novels that stick with you for a while. That is how I feel about Christoper Scotton’s debut novel, The Secret Wisdom of the Earth. I know it is only February, but Secret Wisdom might be my favorite book of 2015, and I am not sure how it can be dethroned. It is a coming of age tale set in the Appalachian mountains of Kentucky. Innocence is lost, love is found, life is lost, and the earth remains the central character as it heals and renews, even in the midst of being raped and pillaged by strip mining.
I cannot begin to describe the amount of feelings I had from reading this book. The story and all the characters captivated me from the beginning. As I was finishing the book, I actually started crying. I haven’t cried in a while, and I could tell because the tears would not stop. I attribute the tears to all the feelings that I was having from the entirety of the book. Feelings of joy, grief, excitement, sadness, anger, all coming out in uncontrollable, and unforeseen tears.
This book is a work of art. Not only did it evoke deep feelings, it evoked deep and vivid images of the mountains in Appalachia that have captivated me all of my life. I could see Paul as he advocated on behalf of the mountains. I could see Pops sitting in his chair on the porch drinking his sour mash. I could see Buzzy and Kevin flying through the air on their rope, being submerged by the mud of the earth, and coming out of the earth as kings of their own realm. I could see Jukes Hollow, its amazing pool formed at the base of a waterfall, and the graves that held so many of those who had called the hollow their home. There was not a time in reading the book that my imagination was not in full force.
This novel has stirred something deep within me that I cannot name or grasp; and that is okay. This book will sit with me for a while, and I with it. Not only is it an adventure and a mystery, it is a story that dives deep into the human condition. It is a book that made me ask deep and meaningful questions about the human role in the preservation of the earth and the places we call home.
Written by Justin
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