On Heaven’s Hill by Kim Heacox

A family saga novel recommendation

A village in crisis is rallied by a thirteen-year-old girl in a beautifully portrayed Alaskan saga. 

Years ago I joined the Palm Springs Writers’ Guild. There, I met a wonderful man, Jim Misko, who wrote beautifully, thought powerfully, and laughed heartily. Jim lived in Alaska half the year, often sharing pictures of moose tearing up his lawn or showing off their babies. From Jim, I began to understand the tightknit beauty of the Alaskan writing community. Jim was one of a kind, and I miss him.

But his legacy lives on, because he introduced me to his friend Kim Heacox, a fellow Alaskan writer. In 2016, Kim published Jimmy Bluefeather, which I loved, and reviewed on my Midlife Fiction page.

Now, Kim has a new book out, and I want to tell you about it, because it’s his best yet.

Kim doesn’t publish rapidly, but when he does, it’s worth the wait. His latest, On Heaven’s Hill, is being released today! I was privileged to read the pre-release version a few months ago, and was so impressed that I offered to blurb it. When the hardcover was published, Kim was nice enough to send me a copy.

I immediately handed my phone to my husband and had him snap a photo.

In this richly drawn tale, Kim expertly weaves three story lines, set against the beauty of Alaska, the warmth of a small town, and the struggles and triumphs of a band of war veterans.

As a thirteen-year-old girl, Kes has it hard enough, but now, in addition to having lost her mother at age five, Kes’ injured, traumatized war-hero father has retreated into silence. To give Dad the peace he needs to heal and survive, Kes’ fiercely independent uncle flies the family to his compound in Alaska. There, the family struggles to become a part of the village as they rebuild their lives.

A villager, Salt D’Alene, can barely feed his family, let alone raise money for medical treatment for his son. Becoming increasingly desperate, Salt, a deeply Christian man, accepts dark money to do a horrible thing to the town and its endangered family of wolves.

On the outskirts of the village, young adult wolves Silver and his sister must look out for their increasingly-stressed parents and siblings. Silver is almost eerily intelligent as he reads the world around him. The “tall uprights” are a threat, as are environmental changes, and it is through his eyes we see Alaska at its most wild, raw, and beautiful.

Facing the challenge of climate change, corrupt politicians, and greedy developers, Kes defies her science-disbelieving school principal and raises a Kid Army to fight for the wolves. Her mission will have a powerful and lasting impact on the town.

On Heaven’s Hill is a realistic and uplifting novel from a masterful storyteller.

Launching today! See it on Amazon.