Beware the Tall Grass
This compelling dual-timeline debut novel is told from the point of view of artist-mother, Eve Sloan, and young farm boy-soldier, Thomas Boone: separated in time by fifty years. How are they connected? We soon discover with skillfully placed clues. Eve’s three-year-old son, Charlie, is haunted by the past life trauma of a Vietnam vet, Thomas. Charlie loves horses, hides from danger in tall grass, fears explosions and napalm. Thomas grew up an only child in Montana. While riding his horse Beau in tall grass, a rattlesnake attacks, leaving the horse with a broken leg. Thomas must summon the courage to shoot his companion. “Beware the tall grass, nothing goods ever happens there.” Later this scene is paralleled in combat when his comrade, paralyzed and dying in pain, looks for mercy. Both incidents cause untold guilt and grief.
The novel explores the inexplicable connection of our souls across time and space. Eve survived a dysfunctional family and self-absorbed mother; she strives to be the perfect mother. She obsesses over her son’s war play and night terrors, almost destroying her marriage. The novel was inspired by a National Public Radio story on children with past life memories. The dramatic potential captivated the author. By nature, beginning as a poet and short story writer, Morris’ language is fluid and precise. Each section echoes the one before, creating a thematic connection. Tension builds as the marriage deteriorates and the child’s actions escalate as he undergoes past life regression therapy. At times this can be a dark read. Battle scenes are graphic and horrific. Does reincarnation exist? Can this child be helped? Will there be a positive outcome?
