Death Coming Up the Hill

A parent would reach for this book when their teenager is grappling with the heavy realization that the world is a complex, often unfair place, or when the family is navigating the pain of a high-conflict divorce. Set in 1968, the story follows Ashe, a seventeen year old boy caught between a father who supports the Vietnam War and a mother who protests it. The narrative is uniquely structured in haiku, with the syllable count of each poem reflecting the weekly American death toll of the war. It is a haunting, deeply moving exploration of personal and political grief. Parents will find this an excellent tool for normalizing feelings of anger and anxiety during times of intense social or familial change. It is appropriate for mature teens due to its honest depiction of war, marital breakdown, and the loss of innocence.