Pisgah Road is a thoughtful examination of the narrator’s life (we never know his true name). It’s a story of love, loss, commitment, friendship and sacrifice. The narrator moves seamlessly between past and present unfolding what happened to his relationships (parents and friends) over time and his earnest yearning for understanding.
Having spent his youth in London, that’s where he returns to examine the path his life took. He’s taken on an assignment there for his government job in computer security and combines that time with reconnecting with the love of his life.
Like a little jewelry box, there are gems of prose that stay with you:
“London lets you define it, no matter how minute or transitory the time is that you spent there. You enter the city and at once you have affected it. You add to it. You weigh it down.”
“… I learned to see people’s moods and general sense of disposition as if each carried a large cartoon speech bubble next to his or her head. I could simply look up and read it. They signaled so visibly and loudly that I was surprised that people could function with so much distraction.”
“A man leans his head backward to drink the last drop of liquid from his glass and part of his hair falls backward exposing the huge bald spot that he had meticulously covered before going out. The piece of hair, like a black flag, waves in the breeze alerting everyone of the man’s vanity.”
This is a wonderful book. The reader gets a real feel for the characters, their foibles and virtues. Don’t miss this beautifully written trip through one man’s memories.
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