Title: Lily Lives on Mount Rainier
Author: Arley M. Fosburgh
Publisher: iUniverse
ASIN: B07NYN1VH3
Pages: 525
Genre: Fiction
Reviewed By: Dan MacIntosh
Pacific Book Review
On the surface, Lily Lives on Mount Rainier is a book about a gifted – but troubled – four-year-old boy named Sandy. Sandy is a pre-kindergarten classic book titles bookworm. Before many other children are even discovering Dr. Seuss, Sandy is quoting Dickens and Austin because he spends much of his time devouring the world’s greatest books. Below the surface, however, Arley M. Fosburgh’s novel is all about the internal lives of its characters. Yes, Sandy is the story’s central figure, but it’s mostly a novel about the adults in his life that give this book its primary momentum.
The first character we’re introduced to is Sandy’s grandmother, who is also his sometime caretaker. One of the smart devices Fosburgh utilizes in her story is how she doesn’t tell us the grandmother’s name (CherylAnne) until she also introduces the new love of grandma’s life, Jaimie. Until an unexpectedly fortuitous encounter with Jaimie at a hospital cafeteria, CherylAnne is described only by her relationship to Sandy — that of grandmother. After meeting this new man, though, CherylAnne becomes more than her grandmotherly role and title; she’s now a woman worthy of love from a man. It’s a breakthrough that brings her new life. Up until this meeting, CherylAnne’s only contribution to the world is cooking for others. Although it’s not explicitly stated, this act of providing comfort food for others is also something CherylAnne does for herself. It’s likely the reason for her weight gain. Fosburgh points out – and maybe mentions a little too often – how CherylAnne is overweight.
CherylAnne is sometimes a caretaker for Sandy (although lovingly so) mainly because his father Thomas is such a poor dad. Granted, Sandy is an unusual boy, one that has an imaginary flower as a best friend. Nevertheless, Thomas never expresses fatherly affection and even talks down to his son. Thomas is with Elizabeth a shallow, materialistic woman much like Thomas, although he still carries a torch for his childhood friend, Rebecca. Rebecca is everything Elizabeth is not, which is a motherly, caring woman. So much so, in fact, Sandy asks her if he can call her ‘mom.’ Rebecca is too good for Thomas, which he never picks up on, and has found a much better man in Paully.
One other major book character is nature itself. Fosburgh goes to great lengths in contrasting the dirty city life of Seattle, with the beautiful, forested country life where Rebecca and CherylAnne reside. In addition to Sandy’s love of books, he has a deeply growing love for nature. (Hence the flower for a friend). Fosburgh does a wonderful job describing the various plant life of Washington in this book. One suspects it is Fosburgh expressing love for nature through these various characters.
The reader is left feeling empathy for poor Sandy, who is both blessed with natural intellect and cursed with underdeveloped social skills. Fosburgh does a fine job in creating good guys CherylAnne, Rebecca, Jaimie and Paully, as well as making the bad guys Thomas and Elizabeth come off especially evil. Best of all, Fosburgh finds a workable balance between creating a story the reader can hang his/her hat on, while all the while showcasing the beauty of Washington State.
So, whether you’re a naturist or just someone that enjoys a good story, Lily Lives on Mount Rainier will hold your attention. Everybody has a story to tell, whether one is an aging grandmother, or a precocious child. This book, both these stories, the beauty of Mother Earth and more will make for an unforgettable read.
