Connecting with another life
Louisville author Ellen Birkett Morris confronts the topic of past-life memories in her novel Beware the Tall Grass. A dual-timeline story, the book follows Thomas Boone, a young soldier in the Vietnam war, and Charlie, a present-day toddler who seems to house Thomas’s memories.
When her preschooler first mentions landing zones and battle scenes and covers his toy soldiers with white tissues pronouncing them dead, Charlie’s mom, Eve, initially brushes it off, assuming he had overheard a historical account on TV or a conversation between adults. Later, when Charlie begins to exhibit PTSD-like symptoms, she becomes more concerned, landing on some articles about past-life memories in children.
Without her husband’s support, Eve pursues medical intervention for Charlie, finding herself almost obsessed with needing answers to reduce his mental anguish. Her marriage and friendships start to suffer, and readers who are parents will be able to sympathize with the instinct to help their child at all costs.
The perspective of Boone, the soldier, offers a boots-on-the-ground look at the perils and heartaches of war, both for the soldiers and for the loved ones left behind. The book leaves unanswered some questions about Boone, perhaps allowing the reader to weigh the possibility of the past-life memory phenomenon.
According to the University of Virginia School of Medicine’s Division of Perceptual Studies, more than 2,500 cases of past-life memories in children have been studied over the last 50 years. The division’s website says, “Some young children, usually between the ages of 2 and 5, speak about memories of a previous life they claim to have lived. At the same time, they often show behaviors, such as phobias or preferences, that are unusual within the context of their particular family and cannot be explained by any current life events.”
Morris heard a National Public Radio story about the university’s research on past-life memories and felt compelled to explore more.
“The idea was so big, so fascinating. The only way I had the courage to try to tell a story based on this phenomenon was to let myself off the hook when it came to explaining the unexplainable,” she says. “I don’t believe in ghosts, have never had a supernatural experience and don’t watch scary movies, but the dramatic potential of the story captivated me. The novel became a story of advocacy in search of answers, courage in the face of the unknown and, above all, love.”
Beware the Tall Grass, (Columbus State University Press, $23.95) can be purchased online at www.ugapress.org.
Ellen Birkett Morris’s debut novel was awarded the Donald L. Jordan Prize for Literary Excellence. She has authored short stories and poetry chapbooks that have earned accolades. She teaches creative writing both in Arizona and at Lexington’s Carnegie Center for Literacy and Learning. Connect with her at www.ellenbirkettmorris.com.
