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October 30, 2009

By JIMMY LOWE The Glasgow Daily Times Fri Oct 30, 2009, 12:39 PM CDT

GLASGOW — Even as a child I had great respect for literary giants, and I thought of a library as an almost sacred place. Still back then, though, I had the misconception that authors grew up in faraway states, graduated from New England universities and eventually resided near the major publishing houses in New York City. It never occurred to me that someone like an eastern Kentucky mail carrier would have anything meaningful to write.

Later, I discovered southern writers in states like Mississippi and Kentucky and I realized they were often producing even more than their share of American literature. It was encouraging to realize that my place on the map had such powerful voices, and I read their works with pride.

Through the years I’ve constantly been reinforced in that pride as I’ve read several shelves of books by our neighbors in this part of the country. Just yesterday I read another fine novel by Silas House, a former mail carrier in Lily.

“Eli the Good” is his latest book, and it’s a good one, indeed.

Unlike his first three critically acclaimed novels (“Clay’s Quilt,” “A Parchment of Leaves” and “The Coal Tattoo”), this one does not specifically proclaim a Kentucky setting. Still, I found in its paragraphs the Kentucky I understand and love, and I suspect its author had his familiar home in his mind, as well.

Also, this one is unlike the other three in that it’s being marketed as a young adult novel. As a reader who is old enough to be the author’s father, I found the work to be comparable to many other worthwhile books (“To Kill a Mockingbird” comes quickly to mind) that equally appeal to ages from middle schoolers to grandparents.

The story is told through the viewpoint of an adult Eli who is reflecting on a troubling time during his summer of 1976. His father was having troubling flashbacks from the Vietnam War, his next-door neighbor was enduring the troubling relationship of her parents, his aunt was dealing with a troubling health condition, and his sister was learning to deal with a troubling revelation. Yet, with all these troubles, there was plenty to find in what was good about that summer.

“Eli the Good” is full of allusions to books and music. After finishing its pages I was compelled to play “Mother Nature’s Son” on the stereo and check out “Angle of Repose” from the library.

Most of all, though, the reading has left me with memorable characters. Eli and his family have moved out of the pages and into my imagination. They seem to be there to stay for a while.

Good writing does that. And it doesn’t matter who creates it or from where it’s created.

I’m glad, though, that we’ve got plenty of active authors doing just that right here in Kentucky.

Silas House is one of the good ones.

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