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Reviewed by Asher Syed for Readers' Favorite
In Mountain Home by Grace Zacaroli, Danat belongs to a quiet faith community that shelters Solomon after war kills the boy’s parents. Solomon is twelve years old with a living father, whom he has never met, in the northern mountains. Danat accepts the duty of escort because he promised Solomon’s mother her son would reach his family, with Jonah joining as a watchful guardian, and Asbat as an experienced traveler. The passage north requires secrecy inside territories governed through fear, but their entry into a fortified city breaks the group up when Danat is seized under a false accusation. His imprisonment removes him from the road but not the task. From a river cell, Danat finds a way to guide Solomon through spoken memory, concealed as madness. Outside the walls, Solomon continues north with instructions meant to prepare him for what comes next.
Grace Zacaroli’s Mountain Home is a really heartening piece of fiction, narrated from the first-person perspectives of both Danat and Solomon. Both are fully fleshed out, and we get a solid connection with them and the journey, as well as what motivates them. I actually found Asbat to be among the most fascinating. He becomes relatable through his patience with Solomon’s fear and adjusting his plans to maintain the boy’s trust, even at the expense of his own comfort. As for the landscape and settings, I love the descriptions of the mountain terrain, made cinematic with the steep footpaths that cut into rock. The depiction of the prison, where drinking water is gathered by prisoners from stone walls slick with spray, is equally visceral. Overall, this well-written story will be easily embraced by lovers of historical fiction grounded in belief, responsibility passed between generations, and journeys shaped by pure faith. Very highly recommended.
