Customer Reviews

The Mountain Beyond

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Terry Miller has accomplished what many of us dream of, recapturing the favorite moments of youth and offering them to others so that they can relive their own childhood experiences.
I know that Terry enjoyed recalling and telling these events as much as I enjoyed reading them.

While I was coming of age in Iowa, I discovered that 1500 miles away Mr Miller was doing the same in Maryland and having many of the same or similar experiences. It was a great experience (like looking in a mirror) and being able to vicariously live his life while he allowed me to relive mine. As he aptly described the episodes of his life, I felt often like I was with him whether it was riding his bike or sneaking in late. There must be millions of people who would enjoy reading this book and as a result, have hundreds of their own memories rekindled. A great and fun read.

Anyone who lived during the tumultuous decades of the 1940s and 1950s will appreciate the vignettes shared by Terry Miller, a consummate storyteller. If you did not live or grow up during that period, you will catch a glimpse of the forces that shaped a generation. Either way - "The Mountain Beyond" is a great read!

Mr. Miller has given us a well done slice of life from childhood through high school in a small town in the period from post WWII through the 1950's. His well-written experiences will strike a familiar (and pleasant) chord with anyone who grew up during that time frame. The author reflects upon childhood adventures and misadventures that have affected his adult years. The book is set in Maryland's Piedmont at the foot of the Catoctin Mountains but is representative of any 1950's small-town USA.

This book provided a fantastic glimpse into a childhood that was much different than most children experience today. It was also a fond remembrance of this reviewer's own childhood of the same era. The "ponders" or words of wisdom liberally spread throughout the book provide good advice for living life to the fullest at any age. The only problem this reviewer had was with the flow of the story which occasionally backtracked to the author at an earlier age. This made it difficult to resume the story when read over a period of time. This is a great book best read in one sitting.

by Wyn's husband

The Mountain Beyond is 220 pages of looking back at lessons learned. Each of the 16 chapters is a short story from Terry Miller's childhood. At the end of each chapter, there is a moral/lesson learned. I enjoyed reading about life in the 40s and 50s, and even more reading about lessons learned. Gleaning some of Terry Miller's life wisdom was a treat! The book is an easy, quick read, but also easy to put down and pick up later when you have time. I almost felt as if I was listening to my grandfather tell stories of his youth. The chapters don't have to be read in order, and the "feel good" short stories are great. The Mountain Beyond is Terry Miller's passing along of the knowledge he's gained from a hard life (absent parents) to the next generation.

This was an interesting memoir of a young boy growing up in the 1940s and 50s. A quick easy read it flowed well. It did not go in direct chronically order but it was okay. It ended with his graduating high school and joining the Air Force. Many of the stories made me laugh. I am a 26 year old female and I enjoyed reading it. If you like memoirs of this time period then you should like this one. Recommended. :)

The Mountain Beyond rekindled memories from my own childhood as I read about these adventures growing up in the mountains. I felt like I was there alongside through the laughter and through the sad times. I could picture the town and it's people as if I was there. I'm looking forward to more from this author. Thank you, Terry!!

Long before I started reading Christian fiction, my favorite thing to read was a memoir, especially one written by an average person who has a good story to tell. The Mountain Beyond takes me back to a time and a place that is simpler than this complicated world we live in today. I did not grow up in the 1940s and 1950s, but I have always enjoyed reading and hearing about others who have. Terry Miller has written a touching and enjoyable memoir that has reminded why I have always liked reading memoirs.

The writing is very personal with plenty of emotion, which really enabled me to feel and experience the stories Terry was telling. If you want to read a nice book about a simpler time and place, you must read The Mountain Beyond. You will really enjoy the author's observations and storytelling abilities. Even life in the country can be interesting and amusing, and maybe even get you thinking.

I must admit that initially I was unconvinced this book would be my cup of tea. However, I was completely WRONG in judging a book by its cover. Not in the literal sense, of course, because it's obvious the book's cover is an artistic selling point. What I'm referring to is the pre-judging most of us do as a matter of (bad) habit. You would think I would have learned from past experiences, as Terry did time and again (often quite humorously), that the UNIVERSE (Terry would say God) always presents us with the RIGHT information when we are READY to receive it with open minds and hearts. And, Terry's book is inspirational to me in this way.

For readers who have a rural upbringing like Terry's, his stories will bring a nostalgic tear to your eye. Reading this book, in some cases, might even inspire you to write your own story. I strongly encourage you to do so, even if it's simply to come to terms with your life. Great accomplishments always begin as small ideas! You just never know what insightful pearls God has chosen you to deliver to those now ready to receive them. I'm quite sure Terry never considered that his humble efforts to "tell his story" would produce the quantity of wisdom filled pages found in this book. Indeed, this book is more than a just memoir of a great American small town boy. It's about the evolution of a young man and his core values, his naïve way of looking at the world, and his abiding faith in a Higher Power to protect him along the way. Although, Terry's account of at least three "somewhat" accidental boyhood concussions might lead the reader to wonder whether God was watching over Terry or Terry was rushing it a bit in his search for God. "Boys just being boys!" my mother would say.

Another important feature of Terry's book is his ability to tell a story with palpable emotion. He doesn't hold back, as it is obviously his nature to be honest in every way. Thus, Terry writes from his heart with every word carefully phrased to tug at the reader's. And, in this respect, he is frequently successful. Most readers will envy Terry as one who has come to terms with an adolescence wholly absent a father and present a mother who was emotionally distant. This aspect of his story will undoubtedly resonate with many young people, especially those who are emotionally disconnected from their families. These are the ones we must try to re-connect with, and I strongly believe Terry's book can help make this happen. For parents out there who are searching for a tool to jumpstart a dialogue with such a child, this book is highly recommended. And for counselors, religious and secular, who have grown to adulthood only to forget HOW TO relate to the youth now in their charge, this book is a must read. All of us need some help, now and then, to remind us of what it's like being in a young person's shoes. Not only does Terry's writing put us inside the trembling shoes of the young and inexperienced, he gives us the courage to "break through the tape" of fears that prevent us from reaching The Mountain Beyond!