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Reviewed by Anne-Marie Reynolds for Readers' Favorite
In This Ground: A Novel by Beth Castrodale tells the story of Ben Dirjery. Once a member of The Vagrants, a rock band, he gave it all up to be a father and to settle down. He gets a job at the Bolster Hill Cemetery as a gravedigger, the cemetery where the lead singer of The Vagrants is buried. Protesters are trying to stop the exhumation of a 19th century eccentric and Ben’s boss wants them to start doing green burials. A new employee wants Ben to dust off his guitar and join him in a performance and Cole, Ben’s daughter, starts to dig up the past that Ben has tried so hard to bury. Ben’s life isn’t easy but if he can answer the questions Cole raises, he might finally be able to put his guilt over his friend’s death to bed and bring the music back.
In This Ground: A Novel by Beth Castrodale is a strange book; somewhat morose in places but strangely satisfying. It’s a bit of a dark novel, and the plot is unlike anything I have ever read. It is entirely unique, very sharp writing with some dark humor thrown in for good measure. It's not a difficult story to follow although it does go off at a tangent occasionally, but it always comes back quickly. The main characters have been exceedingly well developed, with enough backstory to tell you exactly who they are and what makes them who they are. Good story; not the sort of book you would read just to kill a few hours on a rainy day but worth the read.
