January 2015

THE SECRET WISDOM OF THE EARTH by Christopher Scotton blends a coming-of-age story with a look inside the world of modern-day coal mining, known as fracking, and its impact on a community.

Fourteen-year-old Kevin and his mom have moved from Indiana to Medgar, Kentucky, a coal town deep in Appalachia following the death of his three-year-old brother, Joshua, in a horrific accident for which Kevin has been blamed. His mom’s grief has overwhelmed and paralyzed her, leaving Kevin to reach out to his grandfather, Pops, to help him heal. This man, a veterinarian, brings a lot of heart and soul, as well as wisdom, to the story, besides being an anchor for Kevin.

In his new town, Kevin befriends Buzzy, a young boy whose father is dying of black lung disease. While from different worlds, they see each other only for the fun they can share with each other’s lives instead of measuring the differences between them. They are there for each other, bonded in a way that transcends their different upbringings. Medgar is not the kind of town people move into; rather, you grow up there and often stay because there is nowhere else to go.

But while people are not leaving, the town is changing around them. Mining has changed from men descending into the mines to where the earth is being pillaged from above by heavy machinery. What happens is devastating to the community, as well as to the environment.

In my experience, this book will reach a wide audience, appealing to men as well as women. In fact, both my husband and a male friend tore through it.

Reader tip: I think those who enjoyed ORDINARY GRACE by William Kent Krueger will enjoy THE SECRET WISDOM OF THE EARTH. For book groups, there is a lot to discuss here. And it may be a good thing to read it in back-to-back months with ORDINARY GRACE to give yourself time to compare and contrast these coming-of-age stories.