The Green Age of Asher Witherow Book

This novel involved my heart. You see, I used to visit the Black Diamond Mines Regional Preserve when I lived in a town nearby, and I was drawn to that area again and again as there's something magical and mysterious about it. You walk in and see the remnants of old coal and sand mining activities. There's the Rose Hill Cemetery off to the right, which is all that's left of five towns that used to be in the area - that, and the mines. One day my children and I walked to the top of Rose Hill for a beautiful view of the towns beyond (Antioch and Pittsburg) and the Sacramento River, a few miles upstream from where it empties itself out into the San Pablo Bay.

Consequently this book about a boy growing up in Nortonville, one of the five curiously vanished towns, has been on my mental TBR list ever since I first heard of it. Imagine that... a novel written about one of the places I hold most dear out of all my memories! Of course I was someday going to read it - and that came to pass in 2019. Fortunately an audiobook version, created in 2014, made this a pleasure for me. I enjoyed listening to the Welsh accent of the reader. Very precious touch for a heart rending story!

This novel about the formative years of a boy/teen/young man traversed from tragedy to tragedy. If it was set anywhere else I might question the number of terrible tragedies our young character endured. But I've been there - and I know the area was home to many, many tragedies and many families struggling against the sadness that such horrible, unexpected deaths can bring. Perhaps that's what leaves Black Diamond Mines Regional Preserve with a heart-touching magnetic feeling of empathy although the homes of former residents have all completely disappeared. The spirits remain. Only the wooden structures have gone.

I read this book for the 2019 PopSugar Reading Challenge, prompt #2: A book that makes you nostalgic. I couldn't have chosen a better book for completing this prompt. I appreciated that the story of well-known resident Sarah Norton, the midwife, was included in this book. The author obviously did a lot of deep and meticulous research to make this story true to life.

Way back then, when I lived in the area, I read an article in a library book that warned people not to stand on Sarah Norton's grave in the Rose Hill Cemetery because one's foot or leg could be injured. Sure enough, my wild daughter who must have been about 9 or 10 at the time had to try it. And sure enough, close to that time she got a foot injury. (Not a bad one, but still . . . ) so if you go to Black Diamond Mines Regional Preserve and let yourself in the gate to look at the graves, you would do yourself a favor to stay off Sarah Norton's grave. Unfortunately a lot of the other graves are no longer marked so you're likely to step on someone's grave... but stay off that one, at least.