ILLUMINATION Book Chapters Spotlight

Heartfelt Hill

Phil Rossi’s high school story

The spirit of a fallen soldier inspires a wayward teen to begin his search for meaning and manhood.

A high school sophomore’s mission to discover the identity of a forgotten soldier from the Vietnam War and honor his sacrifice. A coming-of-age adventure set in the 1980s.

Phil Rossi— author

Phil is a modern Renaissance Man. Many talents, many skills, many roles.

Author — of multiple books — blogger, actor, voice actor, podcaster, writer, director. And that’s barely scratching the surface.

Phil’s a writer from northern New Jersey. His fiction has been long and shortlisted while appearing in various webzines and anthologies. His books are available on Amazon in both Kindle and paperback format. ​​- phil-rossi.com

Phil’s author pages on • Amazon (includes video updates) • Goodreads • Medium

Phil on Backstage.

What I’m saying is that Phil is a man with a long and rich creative history. We are lucky to have him share his work with us.

Soldier Hill

As an editor for ILLUMINATION Book Chapters, I first noticed Phil when he began serialising his YA story. An act of generosity, to put forward a published novel for free reading. Not the only thing Phil gives us on ILLUMINATION, either.

I’ll let Phil tell the story

As a kid, the Vietnam War remained a taboo subject. The personal wounds too fresh and painful for people to talk about. In the late ’70s and early ’80s, you couldn’t find a hamlet unaffected by the Vietnam War and the conflict’s fallout.

While a high school student in the ’80s, I wondered if anyone from our town had fought and died in Vietnam.

A teacher mentioned a guy who graduated, joined the Army, and never made it back. My teacher wasn’t sure of his name since it happened before he began his tenure at our high school.

My teacher also told me about a tree outside our high school that was dedicated to this soldier.

At the roots of this memorial rested a tablet: Jeffrey. Missing the last name with no mention of any military service. At the time, a humble tree flanking an everyday high school. Nothing extraordinary.

After I graduated, the Board of Education built an addition to the high school. During construction, the soldier’s tree was removed and destroyed.

This ‘oversight’ fueled my muse and anguish to right this wrong. For years, the ambition to honor this soldier’s sacrifice festered. It also inspired me to become a better writer to give that sacrifice justice. — Phil Rossi

Reviews

Here’s an Amazon review from another ILLUMINATION Book Chapters author, Phil Truman— and yes, we’ll be looking at this other Phil’s impressive accomplishments in due course — where the nail is thumped squarely on the head:

Phil Rossi penned a magnificent novella in Soldier Hill. He classifies it as a “Coming of Age” story, which it certainly is, and more. As a Vietnam Era veteran with several lost friends in that war, I was quite moved by the premise. To every parent with adolescent children, I highly recommend you make this charming, yet powerful book required reading.

There are reviews on the Goodreads page for the book. Here are a few comments.

To quote a Guinness commercial, “Brilliant!” The entire book was like that — short, dense sentences chock full of metaphors and slang. It reminded me a lot of James Ellroy, which probably part of why I liked it so much. — Jonathan, Greer SC

I found that subject of the story to be both simple and unique. The author didn’t need to concoct a huge fantasy world with mythical creatures and a whole new set of physical laws. It’s a simple plot, and I appreciate that. — Hannah, 2012

This is a wonderful story about being selfless and honoring those who sacrifice so much their country. It is touching and memorable for being just a short novella. The story is sweet, the writing is on-point, and it is easy to get through. 5/5 stars from me. I did really enjoy it. — Courtney, Chicago IL

This is my first ever 10 * review. I am almost certain that if you start the book on my recommendation you will remember this 10 * and wonder what I was thinking. But it is ok. I am not losing my marbles. By the last five pages in this book I experienced that very odd and uncomfortable feeling. You know the one; it starts from your stomach and moves up until your eyes over flows by itself. It is not in actual fact crying, it is past that, it is the feeling of being moved and knowing you will never forget the story that moved you such. Ironically not being a US citizen I finished this book on the 4th of July. And I need to say, happy Independence Day, it was paid for in blood. Make it count. — Wanda, South Africa

Britni’s review

A simple story, short and sweet — only eight chapters long — based on the premise above. A tree honouring a fallen graduate, a construction site destined to swallow up the memorial tree, a name on a plaque and nobody remembers the student.

Eddie and Dave are high school kids doing high school stuff. At war with some teachers, fans of others, learning lessons about the past as they contemplate their own uncertain futures.

Eddie sets out to solve the mystery of the tree. It’s not an easy task, but he sets out bravely, and along the way we touch upon the shadows of war. Men scarred and wounded long after they came back home. A tradition of service and sacrifice. Memories of being young men like Eddie and Dave, memories of the horrors of battle.

At one point, we encounter an American flag, folded into a triangle, and tears were not far away for me. This is the flag draped over the casket during a military funeral and at a graveside ceremony, the service members fold the flag before the casket is lowered and present it to the next of kin.

A parent, a spouse. They have the flag as a reminder of the fallen, and the cost of their service to the nation. It is a bond, a memorial, a treasure.

I’ve been to Arlington. And to that cemetery above the beach at Omaha. Honouring and remembering is a big part of what makes America.

The idea of a memorial being neglected and bulldozed away is a terrible thing. I won’t reveal how the story ends, but the troubled teenagers remain true to form as they set out to prevent the memory of service and sacrifice being lost, and like me you will be cheering at the surprise ending.

I loved it.

I suspect Phil has put a fair bit of himself into this story. A child of the Eighties, some of the slang is unfamiliar to me but the atmosphere Phil creates is reaching out touching real. This is a story, a very American story, that brings out the goosebumps.

Thank you for writing this story, Phil. Thank you for sharing it. And thank you for your service, Jeffrey.

Britni

Read the whole story

Start here:

Soldier Hill for sale

Available on Amazon in Kindle and paperback editions.

Author links: Some links above lead to author webpages, blogs, social media, or booksellers. These may contain affiliate links, giving authors a small percentage of purchases made from these sites. ILLUMINATION is in favour of supporting authors; if you like the chapters you see here, consider buying the whole book.