The Taking of Miller Ridge
A 1950s Farm Trial in Seven Voices

About this book:

When the state nails a condemnation notice to Arthur Miller's gatepost, offering four thousand dollars for the ridge his grandfather cleared with an axe and two mules, the fight that follows isn't just about land—it's about what a home is worth when the well runs dry and the highway comes calling. Told through seven unforgettable voices—Arthur's stubborn pride, Clara's quiet calculation, a neighbor's calculating smile, a sheriff's uneasy duty, a preacher's conflicted conscience, and a boy watching his world fracture—*The Taking of Miller Ridge* transforms a 1950s eminent domain hearing into a profound meditation on roots, progress, and the stories we tell to survive.

As the October court date looms, the drought-stricken ridge becomes a pressure cooker of buried grudges and shifting loyalties. Thomas Vance's pump runs deep while Arthur's bucket comes up empty. Reverend Hollis watches his congregation take sides. Young Billy Miller sees things the adults miss. And in the courtroom, a farmer in a borrowed collar faces a Columbia-trained lawyer armed with appraisals, blueprints, and the weight of the law.

With the stark beauty of *Plainsong* and the moral complexity of *To Kill a Mockingbird*, this debut novel asks what happens when the machinery of progress grinds into the bedrock of a family's history. The verdict will surprise you. The cost will stay with you.