I liked it. And yes, that is a simple statement about a fairly complicated book, but it is the salient fact, as far as my review is concerned. Much of the following is somewhat ancillary to that point, but I think important (obviously, or I wouldn’t have written it) nevertheless, so bear with me…

If you’re not familiar with the book, here’s the summary:

Kenia Dezy, a Georgetown college student, is unable to join her best friend in Haiti for summer practicum. Her dreams of helping those in impoverished communities are quickly dashed, until a professor suggests she study in Selah Station, West Virginia. The town has a rich history of black culture, as it was one of the stops of the Underground Railroad where escaped slaves would cross to Maryland, and that Selah Branch University was the first fully integrated university. As she discovers more about the town’s backstory, she learns that an industrial accident at the Selah Island Coal Processing Plant spread toxic waste throughout the town center, adjacent neighborhoods, and even the university campus. As a result, the area was declared uninhabitable.

Selah Station was once a multicultural environment, but now “there are just as many poor whites here as blacks.” Kenia also learns the truth about her father’s disappearance, as he came from a line of shamans and had the ability to time travel, which she inherited. He journeyed to another place and time but was unable to return. During her interactions, Kenia forms connections with many people in the town, including the Pennel family who has witnessed her ability to time travel. She, along with the family’s uncle, Mike, travel back to 1953 to stop the sabotage of the coal plant that changed the town forever.

Continue reading Book Review: The Selah Branch by Ted Neill