THE TOP OF THE WORLD

Ethan Joella's novel The Top of the World centers on Chip Bishop, an eighteen-year-old with terminal leukemia. After his high school graduation in 1974, he leaves home without telling his family where he's going, eager to have new experiences while he still can. He lands a job at the Red Maple Inn, a couples-only resort in the Poconos, where he spends the summer connecting with the facility's owner and with other staff members. As his health deteriorates, he's forced to return home, but not before creating a found family and having some of those experiences he wished for. On his deathbed, he refuses to tell his family where he's been or why he left.

Months later, Chip's sister Maggie is still plagued by questions about her brother's last months. She finds an employee nametag from the Red Maple in his effects, and decides to follow in his footsteps, likewise leaving home without notifying her parents and getting a job at the resort. She is befriended by the same people who bonded with Chip, but she doesn't really learn much about her brother that she didn't already know. Instead, the summer becomes a journey of healing as she's finally able to talk to others about her loss.

The novel is a contemplative one, with many musings about death, loss, and recovery. As Chip ponders what it means to die early, his emotions are all over the map. He grieves for the many life events he'll never enjoy, like graduating from college or getting married. At one point he becomes angry when thinking about his own funeral ("Chip wonders what kids from school will show up…He wonders if anyone will talk about what he's meant to them. Sometimes he wants to scream. It's so fucking unfair. How can this be real?"). Other times, he's sanguine; on experiencing love for the first time, for example, "He knows what he has in this second is something most people search for their whole lives, and wouldn't he rather have this undeniable moment than live to be ninety and never find it?" And sometimes he approaches his situation with gallows humor (he states, for example, that he'll never be compelled to play golf and decides that's a win).
Chip hides his condition from his fellow employees, but, sensing his empathy, they share their own tragedies with him�"and almost everyone he meets has experienced a loss of some kind. His kindness and willingness to listen help them heal, and later, when Maggie shows up, the staff return the favor, leading Chip's sister to accept his death. Joella's writing is lyrical, particularly when describing quiet times at the Red Maple:

"He comes upon the small pond with marsh grass and ducks, and the swing that reminds him of the one on his grandparents' porch. He loves how summer evenings are endless, but already the longest day of the year has passed…He walks to the edge of the small dock and takes out his harmonica and starts to play…He plays the tune with such a somber, easy tone that he doesn't know where it comes from. It feels like a gift, like someone in the universe is giving him the right notes…When he can't think of anything more…after seeing the ducks stay still as if he's called them, he holds the last note."

In addition to beautiful writing and poignant thoughts about death, the book is populated with likeable, sympathetic characters that leave an indelible impression long after one finishes the book. Joella's writing grasps how people might react in the face of tragedy and conveys those emotions with genuine compassion.

A few aspects of the novel may keep it from resonating with some readers. First, its focus on message rather than plot means there's very little movement. Almost all the narrative revolves around what people are saying to each other or thinking to themselves about mortality. The book doesn't drag, exactly, but it's also not a page-turner. In addition, much of the dialogue reads as improbable. Every exchange contains a profound observation about life or death, and it's hard to imagine young men opening up to each other so completely about the subject. A subplot regarding the resort's financial stability is completely undeveloped. And finally, every single character in the book is unwaveringly kind and generous. The story may have gained depth from the inclusion of a flawed character or two.

Although the book is about a sad subject, The Top of the World does leave readers feeling uplifted as Maggie arrives at a place of mental well-being. It's recommended for those interested in considering what makes a life well-lived, and it would make an excellent book group selection.

Courtesy: BrowseBooks.com