The Hill

The novel is narrated by Suzanna, who recounts her childhood growing up in the orbit of a women’s prison where her mother is incarcerated. The story unfolds from Suzanna’s early childhood through the year her grandfather dies and the months that follow, focusing on how she learns to live with separation, loyalty, and permanence.

The novel begins with Suzanna as a young child visiting her mother every weekend at Hillcrest, a prison built on top of a steep hill. The hill dominates her understanding of the world. Women live at the top of it, and on rare occasions they are released and descend it, disappearing from sight. Suzanna watches these descents from afar, understanding release as something dramatic and final, but also rare. To her, the presence of imprisoned women is normal and stable, while departure feels strange and disruptive.

Suzanna does not go to the prison alone. Each weekend she travels with her grandfather, who escorts her patiently and carefully. He handles the long lines, the searches, and the procedures, giving Suzanna space while ensuring her safety. Inside the prison’s Visiting room, Suzanna spends her time in the Children’s Center, supervised by a group of elderly nuns. She waits there until her mother arrives, feeling the subtle shifts of air that signal an inmate entering. When her mother appears, their reunion is intense and physical, marked by relief and affection.