Beyond the Higher Ground

By: Thomas A. Brigger

Narrated by: Jack de Golia

Length: 12 hrs and 17 mins

Publisher's summary

Tasked with an assignment to manage the construction of a prison on a remote Appalachian mountaintop, Tucker Mason sees an opportunity to restart his life past the death of his wife and the recurring demons of his childhood. But strange occurrences at the house that he rented on Bright's Mountain and the suspicion of drugs being smuggled through the prison construction site create distractions that lead to violence, intrigue, and his own imperilment.

Struggling under the weight of loss and guilt, he encounters a world that he never knew existed in the shadow of the emerging prison. With a unique perspective on the human condition, Beyond the Higher Ground takes its listener through a historical glimpse of Southwestern Virginia to a powerful exposition of the drug crisis that has devastated the region and the abject brutality of those who deliver it.

©2019 Thomas A. Brigger (P)2020 Thomas A. Brigger

Good.

Wanting to restart his life, he soon found it was not that easy and with what maybe going on at the prison. The plot was slower pace, and narrator was good. Given audio for my voluntary review

The complex writing style requires concentration.

Brigger's literary writing style with his "big words" and complex sentence structure forces the listener to concentrate on the narration of this story. But the theme is less weighty than the writing suggests. It's ultimately realistic, though, and features some quite colorful characters.

Jack de Golia's performance is outstanding. He gives distinctive voices to the characters and shapes the complex language well. It's worth the time and effort to listen to this story.

NOTE: I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

Captivating and set in the most beautiful place

I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

Without a doubt, Brigger's world-building and descriptive details are astounding. If you've lived anywhere in the Appalachian mountains, you'll feel right at home reading this book, easily imagining yourself walking around with the characters. You'll know how close the community is, like a second family, possibly the only family, for a lot of people. The story ebbs and flows like the mountains themselves, propelling the reader on a rollercoaster of emotions and suspense.

de Golia's accent while voicing many of the characters was so spot-on, I wouldn't be surprised if he grew up in the area. However, the multitude of pauses made it very difficult to listen to anything other than a character talking. Overall, definitely worth reading.

Not sure

Just not sure what to say about this audiobook or what to rate it.
Did I enjoy it? Sort of
Can I recommend it? Sort of.
I can tell you what it is not.
Not action packed, not fast paced or full of tension, a bit slow for my tastes.
But I listened to the end without ever considering putting it in the failed to finish folder, So it definitely has something. perhaps just not my cup of tea.
I received a free copy of this audio book at my own request and voluntarily leave this honest review...