Bad Ground

You know you're having an unusual reading experience when an hour or so into a novel it suddenly dawns on you that you've been utterly captivated by, of all things, the inner workings of a hard-rock mine. But that's what happens with BAD GROUND, which in July deservedly won the Christy Award for a contemporary novel released in 2004. W. Dale Cramer is such a marvelous writer that he manages to appeal to both male and female readers --- no mean feat in the general market and a nearly impossible one in the gender-targeted world of CBA fiction. With nothing but a duffel bag and $63 to his name, 17-year-old Jeremy Prine sets out from Tennessee to find his Uncle Aiden, who disappeared from the family radar screen a decade earlier after an accident in which he was disfigured and Jeremy's father was killed. All Jeremy knows is that his uncle works in a hard-rock tunnel for a company in Atlanta, which is where Jeremy heads the day after his mother's funeral. His quest is less his than his mother's; in a letter she wrote before she died --- and that Jeremy read after she died --- she urges him to do whatever it takes to find his uncle. Teenager that he is, he hitchhikes and walks until he finds the man who is now known as Snake. You can pretty well assume that with a name like Snake, this guy isn't exactly elated when Jeremy appears at his work site. But the kid is family, and even though he'd rather forget the family and everything his nephew represents, Snake takes him in and gets him a job with the tunneling operation. It's dangerous and gritty work that's tough on even the coarse, grizzled miners who have been at it for years; for a young guy like Jeremy, who was reared by his mother in a sheltered environment, the mine represents an alien world in which he must somehow find his way. It doesn't help, given the rough lives and language of the miners, that Jeremy is openly Christian. Or maybe it does. What Cramer does with that story line is nothing short of extraordinary. You think you know where the story is going, but that's not where it goes. You try really hard not to like Snake, but you can't help yourself. You're so sure that Jeremy's faith is going to intrude on an otherwise wonderful book, but it never does. And you don't know a thing in the world about mining, but you get all wrapped up in the technical descriptions, and you decide, despite your ignorance, that it all rings true. Most of all, you are astonished that such a delicate story can be told in such a harsh setting. Cramer creates a richly textured and highly detailed world in which three-dimensional people work and play, love and hate, ignore each other and interact with each other. I'm telling you, these people are real. I know each and every one of them, and I'm guessing you do too --- even if, like me, you've never been near the kind of environment they live in. The author clearly knows human nature and knows it well. Bottom line: Cramer is a brilliant writer, positively brill

I just finished Bad Ground. Dale Cramer's ability to make us laugh, cry, bring us to the edge of our seat with suspense and teach us truth at the same time is truely refreshing. The quality of his writing rivals any of the New York Time Best Sellers, and in my opinion far surpasses them. His writing is such that I would not be ashamed to share his books with my grandfather or my grandson. Despite what is so often reported that women read and men don't, his are the kind of books that men will identify with the characters and love the action, and women will find just as enjoyable. I'd love to see this as a blockbuster movie. I can just see Mel Gibson playing Snake and That kid from Bourne Identity playing Jeremy. I can't wait to read Sutter's Cross, and his upcoming release. P.S. The deer hunting scene has to be the best deer hunting story ever.

What a picture Mr. Cramer paints. This is a picture of real pain, a picture of promise, a picture of regrets. Do not misunderstand my title. I said that this is a read for SOME Christians. Why? Because there will be people who may read a few pages into it, and say, "AW, God can't work in that way!" But I'm here to tell everyone, even the skeptics, oh yes He does! This is a book for people who have had real pain in their life. This isn't a book for people without a backbone. Need I say more? Oh yeah! One thing you can't deny is the humor that Mr. Cramer uses in parts of this masterpiece. You also see just how creative one can be. You join 17 year old Jeremy after his mother dies. Her request is for him to find his Uncle Aiden. Uncle Aiden can give Jeremy something that his mother could never give, while Jeremy can give Aiden something that his mother could never give to his Uncle. His uncle is a miner. And with names (or nicknames)such as Geech, Weasel, Nanny, Tunk, and then of course Snake, who is Jeremy's Uncle Aiden, you see a wide variety of vision put into this book! But I wasn't the least bit surprised when the name "Bubba" came up once or twice halfway through! So, when you read this, get ready to feel something. Don't try to think too much, the book will do that for you. Get a cup of coffee, maybe a couple of homemade cookies to go along with this. Just have a good time, and see how our awesome God works! A very rare treasure indeed!

Cramer is a wonderful writer. In this, my first taste of his prose, I discovered bitter sorrow, sweet redemption, and tidbits of wisdom with dashes of humor. "Bad Ground" begins with an orphaned teenager named Jeremy. He has his share of scars, but he holds onto an innocent faith in God. This faith is tried and tested when he ends up living and working with his uncle Aiden. Aiden, otherwise known as Snake, leads a crew of miners outside of Atlanta. He's a morose man laboring under guilt and physical deformities. Cramer fills his story with memorable characters, believable dialogue, and situations that defy description in this review. I was laughing out loud at points, wiping a tear from my eye at others. Like "The Secret Life of Bees" or "Gap Creek," this story contains many riches wrapped around spiritual themes. Written with grace, "Bad Ground" demands to be read by the masses.

Dale Cramer has a unique style that draws the reader in and keeps the pages turning. This is a coming of age story full of entertaining characters that I was sorry to leave when the story ended. Dale doesn't pull punches. Bad Ground is a hard hitting slice of real life in all of its ugliness and rough turns, gently spiced with hope and the wonder of a boy making his way in a man's world.