MY REVIEW:
“Eden Hill” is a nostalgic look back to a time not so long ago when life was a little slower and everyone knew almost everyone who lived in small towns like Eden Hill, Kentucky. I grew up in a similar small town in Tennessee, a place where no one locked their doors and neighbors helped neighbors. Ice cream suppers and picnics on the last day of school and Bible school were the norm. So reading “Eden Hill” brought back some memories for me and the realization that I have now lived long enough that a book set during my childhood years could be considered historical.
Eden Hill was not the perfect town. It certainly had its problems. The church needed a new roof but only heaven knew where the money for it would come from. And anyone who lived during those years knows that there was definitely a separation between blacks and whites in that part of the country. Then there was always the town busybody or the one person who wanted to tell everyone else what they needed to do. Life as normal in the 60’s. It wasn’t ideal or even good but it was normal.
Well, into that little town Cornelius Alexander saw an opportunity to provide for his growing family by opening a fancy new gas station right across the road from Virgil T. Osgood’s station. His fancy-dancy new station threatened to take business away from not only Virgil but possibly even other businesses in town. Naturally Virgil and the other business owners worried and kept their distance from the interloper, hoping against hope that their livelihood would survive the competition. Well, as they always do, things happened and the Alexanders found themselves floundering. What happened next should be a lesson for all of us.
This story was a wonderful lesson about loving your neighbor the way Jesus taught. It’s not usually easy, in fact sometimes it’s really difficult but the rewards can be astonishing. I will just stop here lest I give too much away. Just take my word – read it!
A copy of this book was provided for review by The Tyndale Blog Network.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Nothing seems to change in Eden Hill, Kentucky, and that’s just fine with Virgil T. Osgood. He’s been content to raise his family and run the only service station in town. But when a new station is set to open right across the road from Virgil’s pumps, he suddenly faces obstacles in his career, his marriage, and his self-worth that he’s never even dreamed of.
Cornelius Alexander wants his new Zipco station to succeed and help establish a strong foundation for his growing family. As long as he follows the Zipco guide, he’s sure to be a success—and prove his father wrong.
Reverend Caudill wants to be a conduit for grace in his town, but that grace is challenged by the changes sweeping through in the early 1960s. For the sake of this small town, Virgil and Cornelius must learn to get along, but how do you love your neighbor when his very presence threatens to upend everything you hold dear?
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Bill Higgs is a lapsed academic, former engineer, and avid storyteller. He also admits to being a nostalgic baby boomer, with a keen interest in how things past can teach lessons for the present. He lives in Kentucky with his wife, author Liz Curtis Higgs, and her two cats. Eden Hill is his first novel.
