by Jeff High
I paused for a moment to look up into the night sky, at the beauty of the snow falling thickly and gently upon the world around me. Then I flashed an irrepressible smile at her and said, “Well, Connie, if it is a dream, then wake me up in Watervalley.”
POSTLUDE
Luke walked home from church. Alone, but not lonely. Passersby yelled, “Merry Christmas, Doc!” The streets echoed with the sounds of laughter and carolers and distant ecstatic conversations as people made their way home through the muffled beauty of snow and streetlights. The moment was filled with an unexplainable serenity. As he neared home along Fleming Street, he couldn’t help but notice the incandescence of all the houses. Each of them had a warmth and a glow and he could feel the excitement, the anticipation, the spontaneous mirth of the people inside. Luke felt that he could go up to any one of these homes, knock on the door, and be ushered in with shouts of welcome and delight. Just knowing that was enough. He smiled deeply. Then slowly he climbed the porch steps and unlocked the front door. Rhett greeted him warmly with an excited face and a wagging tail. He turned on a few lamps and put on some old familiar Christmas music. His thoughts were merry and reflective, and he pondered happy memories of Christmases from years gone by.
In time he walked out onto the back porch for one last look at the muted tranquillity of the falling snow. Now only a few scattered flakes were coming down. He tried to catch one of them on his tongue as he had done as a child, but had no luck. So he held out his hand and managed to catch a single large, beautiful flake in his palm. He stood there marveling at its symmetry and design. It spoke of an order in the universe, of patterns he had been unable to see before. His eyes were drawn upward, where the first faint flickers of distant stars were visible in the clearing night sky. Eventually he turned to go back inside. That was when he noticed that the snowflake that had been in the upturned palm of his hand was now a single drop of water.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The journey from idea to bookstore shelf is never one an author travels alone. Many have directed and supported me along the way, some without ever knowing it.
Many thanks to my dear friend Buck Young, who always encouraged me and whose gift of storytelling I have always envied. A hearty thanks to Karyn and Paul and all the rest of the cardiac surgery team at Sacred Heart Medical Center in Springfield, Oregon, who provided a wonderful place to work during the months in which much of this book was written. Many thanks to David Hagberg, who saw a spark of possibility in the early manuscript, and to Susan Gleason, who agreed to take me on despite what I suspect was probably her better judgment.
And finally, tremendous thanks to Ellen Edwards, my delightful and demanding editor, and the talented team at Penguin, who have shown such great enthusiasm for this project. For a son of the South, my red Solo cup runneth over.
After growing up on a farm in rural Tennessee, Jeff High attained degrees in literature and nursing. He is the three-time winner, in fiction and poetry, of an annual writing contest held by Vanderbilt Medical Center. He lived in Nashville for many years, and throughout the country as a travel nurse, before returning to his original hometown, near where he now works as an operating room RN in open-heart surgery.
CONNECT ONLINE
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MORE THINGS in HEAVEN and EARTH
A NOVEL OF WATERVALLEY
JEFF HIGH
A CONVERSATION WITH
JEFF HIGH
Spoiler Alert: The Conversation with Jeff High and Questions for Discussion that follow tell more about what happens in the book than you might want to know until after you read it.
Q. This is your first novel. Have you always wanted to write, and what took you so long?
A. I studied English literature as an undergraduate and have always had a love of writing. For decades I worked on various projects, including some poetry and a couple of novels, strictly for my own entertainment. Then, a few years ago, on a whim while working at Vanderbilt Hospital, I entered the medical center’s annual writing contest. To my surprise, I won—three years in a row! That affirmation convinced me to pursue writing with greater determination, and I eventually completed More Things in Heaven and Earth. Even still, despite my long gestation as a writer, I think the timing was right. What I would have written about and how I would have written it would have been very different ten and certainly twenty years ago. The passing years have tended to sharpen my perspective.
Q. What were your sources of inspiration for the novel?
A. There were several, but perhaps foremost is that I wanted to write about what I believe is fun and good and wonderful about life in a small Tennessee town. I also wanted to write a story about seeking home, about finding our place in this world. We all have moments when we struggle to understand the direction our lives are taking and the forces that are shaping them. Just as the title implies, More Things in Heaven and Earth endeavors to bring light to these questions in the unlikely, unsophisticated setting of Watervalley, Tennessee.
Q. Where did you get the idea for the title?
A. The title is taken from Act 1, Scene 5 of Shakespeare’s Hamlet, when the ghost of Hamlet’s father has just visited him. As the ghost is departing, Hamlet’s pragmatic friend Horatio barges in on them. Hamlet insists that Horatio not tell anyone what he has seen. Horatio sees the world only through a lens of rationality and is uncomfortable with the whole business, calling it “wondrous strange.” To this Hamlet replies, “There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.” In essence, Hamlet is telling him that there is more to this life than what we see before us.
This idea rings true for Luke Bradford as he comes to understand his role as the new doctor in Watervalley. The events of his first six months in town help Luke to eventually realize that there may be a higher order at work in the ebb and flow of his life. The antithesis to this perspective is that of the emotionally hardened and rational John Harris, Luke’s best friend. One of the pivotal points of the story occurs when Luke confronts John with the possibility of a higher order and later remarks that there are “more things in heaven and earth” than John’s cold, caustic nature will admit.
In addition, although he does not appear as an actual apparition, the long-lost voice of Luke’s dead father is quietly at work in his thoughts, counseling him by day, inspiring his dreams by night, affecting the choices he makes. These parallels make Hamlet’s quote a fitting title.
Q. You mention some negatives but mostly praise the virtues of small-town life. What do you particularly like about living in a small town?
A. Having grown up in the South, I have known plenty of people, both black and white, whose economic station in life was far beneath their exceptional wit and wisdom and intelligence. I always admired these people and wondered about their lives. In the small town in which I grew up, there was a permeating goodness, a genuine sense of community that was part of my everyday world. Don’t misunderstand me—bad things happened. There was crime and prejudice and social exclusion. But there was an overriding common bond among all of us, a connectedness to one another that found expression in the simple acts and gestures of daily life. Perhaps it was an outgrowth of our agrarian roots, but the people I grew up with had a tough-minded independence coupled with a devotion to community. We had to work together to overcome life’s difficulties. Tennessee’s moniker as “The Volunteer State” is not just a slogan to attract tourists. It is a description of the mind-set, the attitude of the people I knew and have known all my life.
Q. Your medical background is an obvious asset in writing about a doctor, but where did you get the idea for the revival of the flu virus of 1918? Is such a thing really possible?
A. In the August 22, 2008, edition of the Reporter, a Vanderbilt University Medical Center publication, there was an article about researchers who resurrected an active strain of the 1918 flu virus from vict
ims of the disease whose bodies had been preserved in the frozen soil of Alaska. Conversely, by taking samples of blood from living individuals who had survived the 1918 flu epidemic—all were between ninety-one and one hundred and one years old—they were able to isolate antibodies to the virus that could be used as a cure.
I was fascinated by this work and greatly struck by the idea that the virus had remained dormant for nearly a hundred years, waiting for the right conditions to reemerge. It was powerful, real-life science and made for a captivating aspect of my story.
Q. Who are your favorite characters in the book? Did any take on lives of their own and surprise or confound you with the direction they made the story take?
A. Without doubt Connie is the most fun. There is a very real intensity about her as a force to reckon with, and yet she can be a humble, selfless person. Her remarkable intellect not only gives her personality tremendous depth but also allows her to have a very sharp, dry wit. Connie is a fusion of several women I have known who were intelligent, clever, and insightful but worked in modest circumstances. Their lack of education and opportunities had limited their career potential, but not their wisdom, their moral grounding, or their sense of purpose in everyday life. And, man, were they funny.
Q. You were raised in Tennessee and have returned to it in recent years. Would you share with us what makes the state special to you?
A. Tennessee and Tennesseans typically invoke some iconic images, but the state is actually incredibly diverse. Most people don’t realize it, but it is farther from Mountain City to Memphis than it is from Nashville to Chicago or even from Nashville to New Orleans. The geography is different, the people are different, and, notably, the music is different. In Tennessee we have bluegrass from the Appalachians, blues from Memphis, rock all the way from Elvis the King to the Kings of Leon, and of course Nashville is well known for country. And common to every region of the state is an incredible depth of gospel music. Music is the Facebook wall of daily life for Tennesseans. It is where we find expression.
I am from Middle Tennessee, which has beautiful rolling hills and endless woods and open fields. As in much of the state, agriculture has historically been the economic mainstay. And while this is changing, the values of that agrarian culture are still firmly rooted. That is why, even though I have lived on the East Coast and the West Coast, Tennessee will always be home.
Q. Do you have any funny or astounding stories about life in a small town that you didn’t include in the book but are willing to share here?
A. Wow. I could fill up several books with absolutely wonderful and hilarious stories of life in small-town Tennessee. In the community where I grew up, there was (and still is) a daily radio show called the Swap Shop. People call in with something they want to sell or buy—everything from tractor parts to bridesmaid dresses. Often bizarre, the items can absolutely crack you up. And even though I talk just like them, sometimes you can’t help but laugh at the thickness of the callers’ Southern accents.
Q. Are you as high on reading as you are on writing? If so, what kinds of books do you gravitate toward? What writers have inspired you?
A. I am very much a classics guy and probably don’t read as many contemporary authors as I should. My greatest love is the Romantic poets up through the work of Tennyson. I also love a wide array of British and Irish novelists, including Henry Fielding, Sir Walter Scott, Robert Louis Stevenson, and James Joyce. I find myself going back and rereading these guys over and over again. And, of course, who doesn’t love Jane Austen?
Southern gothic writers have also had a huge influence on me, particularly Flannery O’Connor, William Faulkner, and Thomas Wolfe. Conversely, however, even though I see the same depravity that they did, I tend not to write about it in the same light. I’m inclined to see the more redemptive aspects of Southern life and, invariably, that is reflected in my writing.
Q. Can you tell us something about your process as a writer, and how it’s still evolving?
A. Situations and words from everyday life and everyday people seem to find their way into my books. Perhaps it is from my affinity with the Romantic poets, but the lives of ordinary people—their trials, their delights, their foolishness, their wisdom— fascinate me. As well from the Romantics, my writing will likely always reflect a love of nature and a devotion to the soil.
Also, somewhere along the line it occurred to me that whatever I wrote couldn’t be anything my mother would be embarrassed to review with her book club. Even though she is eighty-three, I would never hear the end of it. For this reason, my writing will probably always get a PG rating.
Q. What do you most look forward to about being a published writer? What has surprised you about the publishing process so far?
A. Without any doubt, the possibility of connecting with people who perhaps in some small way have been entertained or enlightened by my words is a very exciting prospect. My hope is that the book will find a broad audience and that it will resonate with those who do find it. What a wonderful gift that would be.
Candidly, the publishing process has been delightful, albeit sometimes a slow one. As a writer, having a team of professionals on hand for editing, cover art, and advice is an absolute ride, a wonderful thing. The biggest surprise came when I was told I would need to create a social media presence for the book. Ultimately, this led to the creation of WatervalleyBooks.com, which is a great place for readers to learn more about Watervalley. It will allow me to do what I love best: share more about small-town Tennessee life.
Q. You obviously plan to write more Watervalley novels. Can you give us some hints of what to expect next?
A. The next book will likely pursue the evolving romance between Luke Bradford and Christine Chambers, but it will be even more about events in Watervalley’s past that bubble to the surface in the present. The story will evolve around an unsolved murder mystery (the only one in Watervalley’s history) from a half century ago and how dire events surrounding that murder have secretly rippled through lives in Watervalley over many decades. Redemption of life’s injustices will be a central theme.
Q. Where can we go to learn more about Watervalley?
A. Readers can go to WatervalleyBooks.com to catch up on everything happening in Watervalley. The Web site has monthly short stories and articles where readers can learn more about the characters in Watervalley and the history of the town. They can also learn about upcoming Watervalley events and news, get some of Lida Wilkins’s favorite recipes from the Depot, and obtain invaluable automotive and fishing advice from Chick McKissick. There will be plenty to put a laugh in your day.
QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION
1. What do you think you will best remember about this book six months from now?
2. Luke Bradford feels like a misfit in Watervalley. Are there concrete reasons for that, or does his attitude color his perceptions? How do his thoughts and feelings about the town change over the course of the novel?
3. Discuss how Luke’s past has shaped him. In honoring the wishes of his family, is he hopelessly old-fashioned and out of touch with the times? Or do you think he is a model and more people should follow his example?
4. Who is your favorite character, and why?
5. Connie Thompson is starchy and dignified on the outside but has a heart of gold on the inside. Have you ever known someone like her?
6. John Harris has allowed his anger at the townspeople to drive him into seclusion. Do you find his turnaround at the end convincing? Why or why not?
7. Discuss Will Fox—the challenges he faces at home, his computer hacking, and how Luke and others in town resolve these issues. Do you know kids who are troubled, or in trouble? How have their problems been resolved, and what does that suggest about the communities they live in?
8. Discuss the miracle that saves Hoot Wilson’s life. Have you ever experienced a real-life medical miracle?
9. Have you ever lived in a small town? How does that experience compare to life in Watervalley?
10. What makes Watervalley Southern? How might a small town in New England, the Midwest, or the West differ?
11. How does Jeff High’s Watervalley series compare to other series you might have read, such as Patrick Taylor’s Irish Country series or James Herriot’s veterinarian series?
12. The flu of 1918 plays an important role in the story. Unlike the original epidemic, which killed millions around the world, everyone who becomes sick in Watervalley recovers. Discuss why that is. Can we depend on medical advances to prevent such loss of life in the future?
If you enjoyed
MORE THINGS in HEAVEN and EARTH,
then we hope you’ll want to return to Watervalley
by reading Jeff High’s next Watervalley-set novel
EACH SHINING HOUR
coming in October 2014
in paperback and e-book.
Turn the page for a sneak peek at an event that oc- curred long ago but still affects the current-day residents of Watervalley, and catch up with Luke Bradford just as he’s about to meet a lively new resident in town . . . in a most peculiar way.
PRELUDE
Watervalley, Tennessee
April 28, 1944
The grass was taller here, moist and cool in the dark April night, only a few sloping steps away from the road. He would rest for a while, keeping his hand pressed firmly over the small bullet hole above his right hip. But the handkerchief . . . the handkerchief was getting soaked.
