by Kristen B.

Books on Tap (an HCLS book discussion group) recently discussed Groundskeeping, seemingly an ideal title for book clubs: well written, timely, and with just enough spaces in the story to poke at. This debut novel by Lee Cole takes place at small liberal arts college in western Kentucky in 2016. The heart of the story revolves around a coming-of-age journey for Owen Callahan, a rather fatalistic young man with dreams of becoming a writer. After he graduated from a local state college, Owen ended up in Colorado, living out of his car, working odd jobs, and doing drugs. In the manner of a prodigal son, he swallowed his pride at age 28 and moved home into his grandfather’s basement. When we meet him, he has taken a job on the groundskeeping crew at the local college, which pays for creative writing classes.

As the book opens, Owen is lurking in the corner at a friend’s party as the new semester begins. He strikes up a conversation with an attractive young woman, who claims to come from a country that no longer exists. Alma provides the other half of the story’s equation, as the child of Bosnian Muslims who fled to the States when Yugoslavia fell apart. She grew up in northern Virginia, an Ivy League-educated over-achiever who became a published author fairly quickly. She has won a year-long fellowship at Ashby College, where she’s teaching workshops and polishing a volume of poetry.

The attraction that begins at the party blossoms into a true romance, with all the requisite drama and confusion. Owen and Alma are an “opposites attract” couple in almost every sense. He’s wholly from Kentucky and wants nothing more than to make his way out into the world, both physically and professionally. She has all the advantages-economic status, education, literary success, and a path forward, but her family’s history is rooted in trauma and tragedy. Given these fundamental differences, Owen and Alma have the capacity to both hurt and heal each other to staggering degrees.

A wide variety of supporting characters make the spaces and situations believable. Owen’s family sheds light on the disaffected rural Americans who became Trump supporters in the pivotal 2016 election. His uncle rages against opportunities lost while addicted to pain killers. His co-workers at the college provide another set of perspectives, and Alma’s family demonstrates how immigration (in something close to a refugee situation) can be a mixed blessing.

Cole’s language offers a constant recursive flow of Owen learning how to write and how to love, as he journals about the details of his days and discusses writing assignments. Combined with the richness of the characters, this is a more discuss-able book than is immediately apparent. In many ways, the setting is the third main character of the book. The hills, rivers, flea markets, bars, towns, and even the jargon and accents of western Kentucky give the novel a veritable grounding – a ground to keep, indeed.

Groundskeeping by Lee Cole is available in print, e-book, and e-audiobook.

Kristen B. is a devoted bookworm lucky enough to work as the graphic designer for HCLS. She likes to read, stitch, dance, and watch baseball (but not all at the same time).