The Maw of the Mountain: A Novel
Date
2016-01-07
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MFA in Creative Writing, The University of Tampa
Abstract
Hidden in a Pennsylvania mountain range, the secluded community known as the
Schullen is accustomed to a way of life experienced nowhere else. It’s not uncommon for
neighbors to claim they’ve witnessed forest creatures at night or a loved one’s spirit
traipsing about the yard in the form of an albino rabbit. After all, when one has a stone
god peering down from the highest peak and holidays include contact with hallucinogenic
flowers, oddities are sure to take place. Yet at its core, the tight-knit town holds its
doctrines, neighborly love and some harmless gossip, above all else. For Lowell Jameson,
his destiny lies in the forests he holds dear and his bloodline promises him the seat of
spiritual leader of the community. His dream is certain to be fulfilled and he eagerly waits
for his turn to wear the uniform of the town’s premier holy man. Yet someday comes
suddenly when his father abruptly abandons everything he’s stood for, he leaves a wake
of confusion and dishonor for the Jameson family to deal with. One revealed secret digs
up another and soon, a conspiracy and dark experiment is revealed at the core of the
Schullen. Lowell’s journey for truth and to reclaim his home forces him to encounter not
only the fantastical side of life, but also true desperation in a hollow world. Before he can
find his way back, he’s forced to struggle with the concepts of faith, family, and when to
question the seemingly infallible.
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Keywords
Novel, Pennsylvania, Faith, Family