To The Mountain (Torrey House Press, February 2021)
Eleven-year-old Marshall lives in a remote juvenile center in Colorado, where he is bullied by the other boys, misunderstood by all of the staff except Leslie, and so overwhelmed by the sounds and smells in the cafeteria that getting his lunch is a daily terror. During a blizzard, an unexpected mishap for Marshall and Leslie leads to Marshall’s disappearance into the wilderness. His father, Jace, knows that Marshall has gone searching for a secret on the mountain. To save Marshall, Jace must overcome not only the winter elements, but his own self-doubt in this tale of sacrifice, hope, and the bond between father and son.
Read an interview with me about the book.
You can pre-order the novel from Bookshop.org, Torrey House Press, or Amazon.
Praise for To The Mountain
“Lyrical and Haunting”
-FOREWORD REVIEWS
“Raschke interprets motifs of loss, separation, and renewal with keen storytelling chops and a distinctive lyrical style. This brief, but riveting story has much to offer.”
-PUBLISHER’S WEEKLY
“Powerful...a harrowing and engaging tale of survival.”
—KIRKUS REVIEWS
"A mercilessly taut, relentlessly thrilling tale of heartbreak and survival. Raschke writes with humanity and grace about the challenges of parenthood, and the rigors of the natural world."
—JONATHAN EVISON, author of The Revised Fundamentals of Caregiving
"To the Mountain pits a father and son against the wilderness survival tale's usual merciless elements: perilous trails, menacing predators, and poor cell reception. What lifts this novel above the ordinary also challenges readers—to enter the hyper–sensory perspective of the autistic boy as he puzzles his way through an insensate world. It is not a spoiler to say that love matters when the odds seem insurmountable and surrender feels like mercy."
—CHARLIE QUIMBY, author of Monument Road
"A deeply affecting tale of a father's love for his autistic son. Erik Raschke's lyrical prose evokes both the awesome wilderness of the Rocky Mountains in winter and the unfathomable wilderness of the human heart. This brief and beautiful novel will linger long after you have turned the last page."
—MARGARET COEL, New York Times bestselling author of Winter's Child
“This powerful, spare novel is a riveting commentary on nature’s power to heal.”
—MARYA JOHNSTON, Out West Books