Barbara Lawlor, Nederland.    Local author Brian O'Donnell's book, A Life at High Altitude, is not what it appears to be at first glance. On the cover of the book a giant moth rests on the vibrant green leaves of a marijuana plant. That and the title would suggest a story about being high on a mountain, "high" in the figurative sense.

Yes, the plot involves the days of the late 60s when pot was intertwined with the Vietnam War peace rallies and concerts and college kids against the system. And yes, it morphs into the present scene in which Colorado legalizes marijuana and it is widely used for medicinal purposes.

But the plot of the book involves a reunion between a mother and a son who have not seen each other since he was three years old and she had to give up her custodial rights. Rosalie Sullivan now lives in a small mountain ghost town named Apex, above Idaho Springs, and owns an art gallery, with much of her own work on display.

At the beginning of the book Rosalie's son Jason Kane, at the age of 47, and his wife Deborah, are driving from St. Louis to reunite with his mother for the first time. He is a good guy who doesn't know if he is resentful that she left him or happy to finally get to know her. Deborah is curious about her mother-in-law.

When they arrive at their destination, which is in Gilpin County, they become engaged in the story of her past and the reasons for her leaving. They find themselves admiring and loving the gentle but tough woman who forged her own way  out of a bad marriage into a life in the Rocky Mountain small town that accepted her.

She would have been totally satisfied with her life except for the sorrow she endured at leaving her son back when she had no choice.

Although O'Donnell's novel is not a literary masterpiece, it is a profound look at how we live and how we die and the choices that are made in between. He has a strong, simple narrative style, making it a book that is hard to put down…. "Just a few more pages." It draws you into the lives of the city folks and the mountain characters who could be any one of our neighbors.

Marijuana becomes an issue in this book because of its early history of being used by "addicts," protesters, and wasted hippies, who were jailed for the tiniest possession with huge consequences.

At the end of the book, the use of the weed and a vaporizer bring about peace and pain relief for the cancer that Rosalie's suffers from, and, therefore, the benevolent angle of its effect.

O'Donnell's book is published in large print, which makes it an easy, comfortable read, while at the same time bringing up some thought-provoking considerations such as forgiveness, tolerance, patience, and love that can be rekindled regardless of the years it had been squelched.

O'Donnell attended the Rocky Mountain School of Art in Denver during the mid 1970s and is still painting. He has worked in the film industry on feature films, network television, and commercial products through the mid-90s. He also produced and directed the award-winning documentary “Deadheads."

A Life at High Altitude is self-published and may be purchased online.