Book Review: "Bergmann's Fire: The Parable of the Hill and the Boulder" by Dave Firestone

This 347 page book was published by Consuming Fire Publishing in 2009. The author, Dave Firestone, is an AC producer. Dave asked me to review his book and as you can see I've done so.

The first impression I had of "Bergmann's Fire" is that Dave Firestone had placed one of my favorite quotes by W. S. Merwin on the page before the prologue. "Your absence has gone through me like thread through a needle. / Everything I do is stitched with its color." This of course put me in a good frame of mind for the book itself.

"Bergmann's Fire" is set in coal mining region of Kentucky in 1966. The main character is Sarah Hanover, who is coming home for the summer after spending her freshman year at The University of Kentucky. Waiting for her at home are her parents, her younger brother Tommy and her father's special guest, Daniel , a lawyer from Vienna.

Of all the characters in "Bergmann's Fire: The Parable of the Hill and the Boulder" Sarah's father Joe Hanover is my favorite. He is spiritual and not afraid to walk the path of a strong spiritual man. I enjoy the way he expresses himself also. For example, on the first page of the book we hear him describe to his daughter how the dust from a coal mine being dynamited is really smoke. ""Smoke is dust darlin'. It's just dust that's caught up in the sudden windy breath-a God." Sounds poetic doesn't?

There is a mystery in the book, Sarah's father, a WWII veteran, receives one bottle of wine once a year from Vienna. It has been a wonderment that his children have ponder over for years. Why would Joe Hanover, a man from a small coal mining town in Eastern Kentucky, receive a package each year from Europe? Daniel, the lawyer from Vienna, is also curious about that wine bottle that his employers have given him the task of sending each year. So curious, that he comes to America to talk to Mr. Hanover to find out. But Mr. Hanover isn't so quick to give out answers.

While Daniel, Sarah and Tommy wait for Mr. Hanover to talk about the reason for the wine bottles Daniel tries to win Sarah's heart, which starts off on the wrong foot. Sarah immediately takes offense and smacks him, but good; leaving the shape of her hand on his face. Daniel spends the summer trying to overcome the handicap of speaking his mind too quickly.

Before I forget let me write about the hill and the boulder portion of the book's title. Sometimes when the coal mines are dynamited huge boulders get blasted out of the rock and they fly (literately) to a new home. One such boulder that was as big as a house landed on a hill and rolled down it to end up near the Hanover's home. Mr. Hanover believes if that first hill hadn't been that it would have crushed their home. Over the years the boulder has become an important part of Sarah's life, but as the summer of 1966 progresses, the boulder enters into a new dimension of importance. I just realized that I can't write too much more about the hill and boulder portion without giving away too much of the book.

You need to read "Bergmann's Fire: The Parable of the Hill and the Boulder" by Dave Firestone to find the answers to several questions: What did Mr. Hanover do in the war to warrant getting a special wine each year? ; Does Daniel win Sarah's heart or does Sarah send him packing? ; And what's with the boulder on the hill?

Dave Firestone's first book is enjoyable read; I look forward to his second book.