Tears of the Mountain chronicles a single day
in one man's life—July 4, 1876—along with a
series of flashbacks that all lead up to an eventful
Centennial Independence Day celebration in
Sonoma, California. Over the course of this
surprisingly pivotal moment in his life, Jeremiah
McKinley prepares for the celebration and for a
reunion with old friends and family.
However, as he reflects on past love, the
hazardous pioneer journey of his youth across
the continent from Missouri, and the many violent
conflicts of the West, voices of the long dead
come to him, while old wounds and enmities
resurface, threatening everything he holds dear.
Furthermore, a series of mysterious notes and
messages follow him throughout the day. When
a visiting senator is found dead, suspicion leads
to his old mentor, Professor Applewood, whose
sudden disappearance from the festivities makes
McKinley a suspected accessory to a fugitive.
John Addiego fills this tale of America's coming of
age with wit and lively prose, seamlessly moving
back and forth through time in a novel that
recognizes both our darker side and our promise.