John H. Preston

Everything Important Happens on a Hillside John H. Preston

At age 63, Will T. Hopkins stands looking at his reflection in the kitchen window, speculating about his future with a prediction he?s not qualified to make: ?I?ve probably just got another twenty good years. Lots of people don?t live that long.? Three days later his family have gathered for his funeral: his wife, Lillian Pearl, who walks everywhere she goes out of necessity, but also because of the altered state of consciousness it brings her; their pot-smoking daughter, Judy, whose only ambition is to become respectable and will lie, cheat, and steal to get there; their oldest son, T-Junior, an incurable alcoholic who became one after ingesting only one drop as a child; younger son, John, about to retire from the army but finds civilian life more treacherous than the desert of Afghanistan; their twin grandsons, Carl and Jessie, local basketball stars, one of whom is surprised to discover he is gay; Lillian Pearl?s sister, Betty, a habitual church goer, who is determined to get to heaven but is beginning to realize she must go through hell to get there; and the only non-blood family member, Wayne, Judy?s long time boyfriend, who is a poolroom gambler and prides himself on trying to apply logic to every situation. Each of them is burdened with a unique background story setting one apart from the other. Their individual stories deepen our understanding of how circumstances shape our lives?how choice and chance play havoc with us. With its many twists and turns of plot, as well as its several flashbacks, this long novel full of captivating characters will amaze, amuse, and disturb you. Set among the lush mountains of eastern Kentucky, its tone and innocent vulgarity are down to earth and matter of fact, and its unusual structure almost unclassifiable. Don?t expect the conventional from this brilliantly imaginative book.