Synopsis: In Down from Cascom Mountain, newlywed Mary Hall brings her husband to settle in the rural New Hampshire of her youth to fix up the house she grew up in and to reconnect to the land that defined her, with all its beauty and danger. But on a mountain day hike, she watches helplessly as her husband falls to his death. As she struggles with her sudden grief, in the days and months that follow, Mary finds new friendships-with Callie and Tobin, teenagers on the mountain club's crew, and with Ben, the gentle fire watchman. All are haunted by their own losses, but they find ways to restore hope in one another, holding firmly as they navigate the rugged terrain of the unknown and unknowable, and loves lost and found.
Type: Fiction
Quick Take: Down from Cascom Mountain starts with a bang. We quickly learn that Mary's husband has fallen to his death, what happens after ultimately a story of hope. As you turn the pages you discover that the characters in the novel are all seeking closure from the past.
Mary's father in-law caught me off guard with his forwardness, I couldn't believe some of the things he said to Mary. Yet we all know people like him. Most of the new friends that Mary makes are teens/college kids working on at the Mountain, in a camp environment. This setting worked for me.
I appreciated Mary's relationship with Ben. They helped each other heal.
Like Staci wrote in her review, 'At first glance you really don't think any of the characters have a single thing in common, but after sitting back and letting myself absorb what I read, I realized that no matter what age, sex, or life experience, grief can be a constant companion for any lost and hurting soul.' Well said!
Rating: 4 stars
Source: Personal Copy