The second book!
Hello friends,
I apologize for the delay in publishing my next post as I had to complete the book which I started reading. The book in question is titled "Gray Mountain" written by Mr. John Grisham.
The story revolves around Ms. Samantha Kofer who after being fired from her law firm in New York due to recession, joins Mountain Legal Aid Clinic in Brady, Virginia which is a non-profit organization that fights against illegal strip coal mining in Brady and it's surrounding counties. The plot is slow to begin with, especially in the first few chapters where Samantha deals with the sudden loss of a high paying job and is forced to look at not so enticing and well paying alternatives. It is when she arrives at Brady and meets Donovan Gray that the story moves quicker. The quick movement of the plot is mainly attributed to the adventures & secrets of Donovan Gray, who is an attorney and tends to fight fire with fire. He himself admits in the story that in order to win legal battles against big coal corporations, sometimes one has to use not so pleasing tactics.
The story beautifully captures the sudden change in Samantha's lifestyle from a wealthy law firm employee to an intern struggling to find her place in a small town while working for a non-profit organization and how she slowly but surely adapts to her new environment. The book also provides a beautiful and artistic depiction about the Appalachian Mountains in West Virginia and how illegal coal strip mining is destroying the ecosystem and the lives of people who live in it's vicinity. The chapters that made this book memorable for me were those which describe the struggles of the common man and his family because of black lung, cancer, osteoporosis and tumors caused due to the air and water pollution that is a byproduct of illegal coal strip mining. These chapters provide justification for the actions of Donovan Gray who uses any means necessary to win his legal battles against these big corporations. I was very much impressed with the accuracy of information provided regarding strip mining and the credit goes to Mr. John Grisham and his team. If you are expecting a thrilling court room drama similar to Mr. Grisham's other works, then the reader will feel a bit unsatisfied upon reading the entire story.
The book also consists of a memorable and sudden twist in the middle of the plot which impacts everyone's life including Samantha Kofer. In all, this is an very well written book with a slow and somber opening sequence followed by a refreshing journey into the heart of Appalachia. It's bright second act is turned melancholic due to the twist which leaves us with an incomplete third act that does not tie all loose ends. I believe that this book will be remembered for it's realistic portrayal of the damages caused to the natural environment due to illegal strip mining and it's impact on the lives of people who depend on strip mining as a source of income.
If you wish to read this book, please find the link below (for the Indian subcontinent only) to purchase it,
See you soon with another post!!
-Thejas 😄
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