After becoming very ill six months ago and still recuperating, cultural anthropologist Gabe King is told to go home to recover. He wants to say no as he believes his home is in the South American Rainforest, but a lost letter arriving way after it was sent by his mother informs him his brother Peter died in a sawmill accident eighteen months ago. Gabe heads to Libby, Montana to see if his mom is okay even as he remains estranged with his dad who tossed him out ten years ago.
Gabe plans to stay no more than a week until he meets Peter's widow Siddah and his nephew ten years old Bobby. He finds himself attracted to Siddah and admires her independence; he realizes Bobby, who has not coped well with the death of his father, needs someone just like him. As he wrestles and tickles his troubled nephew back to a happy state, Gabe for the first time in a long time feels at home especially since he loves his sister-in-law and her child; they reciprocate, but the ghost of likable Peter and the incident that caused the rift with his dad a decade ago threatens to keep everyone apart.
HIGH MOUNTAIN HOME is a fine family drama that focuses on how well individuals cope with the death of a nice loved one even though almost two years have passed since he passed away. The key cast is fully drawn to include Gabe, Siddah, Bobby, his grandparents and Peter though he is built upon the memories everyone shares with readers. Sherry Lewis provides a close look into love and loss in this strong contemporary character study.
Harriet Klausner
