Ravenhill

Timothy Hillmer

Ravenhill is the story of one fateful day in an American high school in 1997. As told from multiple points of view, the novel unfolds a few hours after an act of violence leaves five people dead and shocks the community.

Leonard, a ninth grade student, has a secret so horrific he hides it beneath his bullying and a tough-guy attitude. Lara, one of Leonard's targets, is trying to show no fear of his persecution but is prepared if Leonard carries through with his threats. S.A.M. Bond is his own superhero with a secret he must guard at all costs. Mr. Hardin, the English teacher, has his own personal demons, including the death of his young daughter. Paul, the custodian and former priest, is fighting alcoholism. All these personal problems, attitudes, and anxieties erupt the day before the winter holiday break.

Without flinching, Ravenhill attempts to answer the question of who might be responsible when a sudden violent act explodes and a quiet town is changed forever.

"This explosive novel is a compelling and disturbing view of the violence and terror and loneliness present in our schools in this age of guns and mayhem, when even the best efforts of good people can't prevent tragedy."--Kent Haruf, author of Plainsong and Eventide, and a finalist for the National Book Award.

"...compelling and insightful...A tragic, finely crafted story made all the more powerful by Hillmer's insider understanding acquired through his years of teaching."--Denver Post

"...compelling...The characters are real, their lives diverse, and their actions, although unsettling, become understandable and heartbreaking."--School Library Journal

"Ravenhill is a fast, compelling read that offers a vivid, realistic glimpse into a...school environment."--Boulder Daily Camera

"Hillmer has an uncanny ability to give his characters life and depth."--Longmont Daily Times-Call, CO

Timothy Hillmer has been a teacher and mentor in the Boulder Valley School District for the past twenty-four years. He is the author of the award winning novel The Hookmen. He lives in Louisville, Colorado, with his wife and two daughters.

6 x 9 239 pages