4 minute read
BOOK REVIEWS
Wilson, Sarah Hinlicky. A-Tumblin’ Down. St. Paul, Minnesota: Thornbush Press, 2022.
A story of a tragic death – a young life snuffed out before it had even begun. Heart-wrenching grief ensues, complicated by gossip, insensitivity, power plays and betrayal. One wonders the location of such a tale – is it Peyton Place or perhaps Wisteria Lane? No, it’s your local Lutheran Church in small town USA!
Sarah Hinlicky Wilson’s latest novel, A-Tumblin’ Down, is relatable to any churchgoer: a narrative of the all-too-human side of complicated relationships within the body of Christ. She takes us on a journey with the Abney family, whose patriarch Donald is the soft-spoken pastor of Mt. Moriah Lutheran Church in fictitious Shibboleth, NY. The story is set in the heady days of the late 1980s, as the Berlin Wall is toppled and the hope for lasting world peace is awakened.
And in this work, Hinlicky Wilson fully explores the inner worlds of each member of the Dabney family. First, there is Kitty, the impetuous daughter who runs off to her secret cave where she meets her “council,” an imaginary gathering of literary characters, such as the Greek mythological figure Rhea the Titan and Jo March from Little Women, who guide her along life’s path. Then there is the mother of the family, Carmichael, who periodically meets with imaginary alter-egos, such as “California Carmichael,” the care-free version of herself; and Jewish Carmichael, her original identity long suppressed, which reemerges as her parents reconnect with their Jewish roots.
Pastor Donald also has a ghost: the lingering presence of his Grandfather Abney, an old fundamentalist pastor who sows doubt in Donald’s mind concerning his own liberal theological education. As a pastor, I found these imaginary discussions between Donald and his grandfather compelling, as the young pastor struggles to discern God’s truth for himself.
But the central plot concerns the tragic Christmas Eve death of the Abneys’ son Asher, who climbed a ladder (carelessly left out beside the church building) and fell off its roof to his death. Here the narrative reveals the family’s soul-crushing grief and their struggle to continue life and ministry in Shibboleth. Tragically, Saul, the Dabneys’ other son, starts to believe that he is, in fact, Asher, causing further pain for his family, his teachers, and of course, himself.
So this a wonderful study on grief, but the heart of this book centers around what is happening inside Mt. Moriah Lutheran Church. Here is perhaps the most relatable part of the book for churchgoers, as members of the congregation ham-handedly react to the tragedy. Some don’t know what to say, and others blame the council member who left the ladder out. One parishioner insists that Asher be cremated and buried in a columbarium that she originally sponsored, but as of yet has been put to little use. Carmichael rejects this suggestion, favoring a traditional burial, which she feels better reflects her Jewish roots. The conflict escalates, harsh words are spoken, an effort to remove the pastor is organized, and in the battle for church dominance the Dabneys are accused of child neglect by another church member.
Now I won’t give away the rest of the book, but let’s just say that the Dabneys prevail through it all ― a victory they celebrate in the book’s final pages when the family sings the beloved Sunday School song, “Joshua Fought the Battle of Jericho.” Hinlicky Wilson cleverly places this joyful time in the setting of late 1989 when the Berlin Wall also “came a-tumblin’ down.”
If you haven’t figured it out by now, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It is a novel that gives pastors and lay people a lot to think about, especially in how to treat each other in Christian love. And it also ends with a message of hope: that despite our struggles, it is God who will win the victory, and through His never-ending love He lets us come along for the ride.
Do yourself a favor and buy the audio version of the novel so you can hear Hinlicky Wilson cleverly act out all the characters in the novel. Who knew she was such an accomplished actress in addition to her myriad other talents? The author has also written a fictional section of the Mt. Moriah Lutheran Church Cookbook, featuring twelve dessert recipes written by the characters in the book. You can download a pdf of the recipes for any sum at https://payhip.com/b/fB4K1
