Eli the Good

I just finished listening to Eli the Good, narrated by the author, Silas House, in his soft, slow Appalachian drawl. The story is flawless; it is descriptive without being effusive, and carries the reader along its narrative stream like a floating leaf on a lazy summer afternoon.

The protagonist, ten year old Eli Book, has an old soul. He observes his family, friends, and nature with full awareness, and has understanding beyond his years. The story takes place during the summer of the Bicentennial, when Eli's Aunt Nell comes to live with them, bringing her green record player and an endless supply of records. In the 60's, an iconic photo of Nell protesting the Vietnam War was published nationwide, and Eli's father, Stanton, has never forgiven her. He is a Vietnam veteran, with post-traumatic stress disorder. Eli's mother, Loretta, spends most of her attention calming and soothing her husband, while Josie, Eli's sixteen year-old sister, is in a constant power struggle with their mother. Edi, Eli's next door neighbor and best friend, shares his love of trees, books, philosophizing, and bike riding.

Tensions collide when the family attends a 4th of July parade. Veterans of World War I, World War II, and Korea march in the parade and are cheered. Eli wonders where the Vietnam veterans are, and notices a shift in his father's bearing. The full effects of PTSD come to a head, and threaten to destroy the family.

Eli the Good is a sympathetic, loving story of an American family, struggling with the pressure of external conflicts that have become internalized. I foresee it becoming a classic, on the order of To Kill a Mockingbird. Eli the Good is available in print and from Library2Go as an audiobook and eBook.