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Mt. Forgotten
A “small but remarkable cast of characters occupy a world in the Pacific Northwest that is a sight to behold…. [A]n engrossing story about family that is as grounded as it is lofty…. [T]he author’s gift for storytelling keeps everything in sync….” in this “ambitious, earthly novel…” —
A Kirkus starred review
“[A] gorgeously written, emotionally resonant novel that layers generational trauma, buried truths, and the unpredictable alchemy of love and loss into a narrative as majestic and perilous as the Farangotta Valley in which it is set.” —San Diego Book Review
“Kevin Casanova Abrams crafts a story like a wild mountain run with lots of fun and harrowing twists and turns that send a reader flying through it at a beautiful breakneck pace with little hope of stopping before the end.” —Baynard Woods, author of Inheritance
“Abrams’ nimble hands have sculpted dynamic, charismatic characters. This is my favorite kind of one steeped in emotional complexity that’s also pass-the-popcorn fun.” —Joshua Mohr, author of Model Citizen
“[T]he kind of unique read that only true literary fiction masters can bring to life… and a rich thought-provoking literary journey that lingers long after the final chapter.” — Readers’ Favorite
A multi-generational epic spanning post-war America through the early aughts, Mt. Forgotten is the first in a trilogy exploring the ever-changing cultural, industrial, and spiritual framework of the fictional town of Fortooth Bend.
Once a thriving swatch of river and mountain, Fortooth Bend is home to the sacred land of the Le’Echuwanna, a tribe of Native Americans who stand as guardian. However, this all changes when William Jefferson Macklemore moves to town and opens Glory Peak. Considered the greatest ski resort in North America, Glory Peak brings money, fame, and 3-star Michelin ratings.
It also brings conflict as a rival group attempts to open a competing ski resort. As tensions turn violent, the Le’Echuwanna look to the most unlikely of locals, Clover Dolores Mackelmore, William's ketamine-slinging, cross-country skiing granddaughter to find peace. Torn between her grandfather's legacy and the Le’Echuwanna's five-hundred-year ways, it’s up to Clover to see if terrain as wild as Fortooth can be saved by the rarest of its minerals—compassion.
“[A] gorgeously written, emotionally resonant novel that layers generational trauma, buried truths, and the unpredictable alchemy of love and loss into a narrative as majestic and perilous as the Farangotta Valley in which it is set.” —San Diego Book Review
“Kevin Casanova Abrams crafts a story like a wild mountain run with lots of fun and harrowing twists and turns that send a reader flying through it at a beautiful breakneck pace with little hope of stopping before the end.” —Baynard Woods, author of Inheritance
“Abrams’ nimble hands have sculpted dynamic, charismatic characters. This is my favorite kind of one steeped in emotional complexity that’s also pass-the-popcorn fun.” —Joshua Mohr, author of Model Citizen
“[T]he kind of unique read that only true literary fiction masters can bring to life… and a rich thought-provoking literary journey that lingers long after the final chapter.” — Readers’ Favorite
A multi-generational epic spanning post-war America through the early aughts, Mt. Forgotten is the first in a trilogy exploring the ever-changing cultural, industrial, and spiritual framework of the fictional town of Fortooth Bend.
Once a thriving swatch of river and mountain, Fortooth Bend is home to the sacred land of the Le’Echuwanna, a tribe of Native Americans who stand as guardian. However, this all changes when William Jefferson Macklemore moves to town and opens Glory Peak. Considered the greatest ski resort in North America, Glory Peak brings money, fame, and 3-star Michelin ratings.
It also brings conflict as a rival group attempts to open a competing ski resort. As tensions turn violent, the Le’Echuwanna look to the most unlikely of locals, Clover Dolores Mackelmore, William's ketamine-slinging, cross-country skiing granddaughter to find peace. Torn between her grandfather's legacy and the Le’Echuwanna's five-hundred-year ways, it’s up to Clover to see if terrain as wild as Fortooth can be saved by the rarest of its minerals—compassion.
400 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 18, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
July 4, 2025
There are some stories that don't just begin—they rise like mist from a mountain, slowly taking the form of all we've tried to forget. Mt. Forgotten is one such story. It doesn't hurry to explain what's important. Instead, it allows the burden of history, family, and place to settle in layer upon layer—until you realize you’ve been holding your breath the whole time.
Kevin Casanova Abrams's book, Mt. Forgotten, is a big story about family history, who owns the land, and old hurts passed down through generations. It takes place in the made-up Farangotta Valley. The story covers many years and different viewpoints, showing the real price of wanting to expand, both for people and for cultures. It also highlights the hidden fight between building new things and keeping who you are.
Kevin tells a story that spans generations. He shows the complicated connections between the Macklemore family, who started the Glory Peak ski resort, and the Le’Echuwanna tribe, who were the land's first protectors. Other people also come into the valley, trying to find their place and purpose. At its heart, the book asks, who owns the land? And what do we owe the people and nature that get pushed aside?
The author’s central argument is that the pursuit of ambition—whether personal or economic—often comes at the cost of relationships and cultural roots. This is clear in the unraveling of the Macklemore family. Annabelle Macklemore, for instance, reflects on her failing marriage: “Life was not for changing on Tuesday; it was for getting to Wednesday, then Thursday, then Friday, when, thankfully, the weekend could start.” This quote captures her resignation and the slow erosion of hope, tying personal struggles to broader themes of loss.
The author writes about real things—colonialism, environmental damage, and broken families—but in a personal way. He doesn’t lecture. He tells stories. The resort, Glory Peak, becomes a symbol of how progress can look beautiful on the outside while quietly hurting everything underneath. He also writes about what it means to grow up in a place full of history. For Clover, it’s not just about learning where she comes from. It’s about deciding what kind of legacy she wants to carry forward. Kevin makes a clear point: if we try to move forward without making things right, it causes harm and won't last.
Critics have praised the book for its emotional depth and how quickly it moves, saying it keeps readers hooked from start to finish. It’s a story that makes you think about protecting our environment, respecting different cultures, and what true progress really means. If you enjoy family sagas with strong characters and a powerful message, you’ll find this novel a rewarding experience.
Kevin Casanova Abrams's book, Mt. Forgotten, is a big story about family history, who owns the land, and old hurts passed down through generations. It takes place in the made-up Farangotta Valley. The story covers many years and different viewpoints, showing the real price of wanting to expand, both for people and for cultures. It also highlights the hidden fight between building new things and keeping who you are.
Kevin tells a story that spans generations. He shows the complicated connections between the Macklemore family, who started the Glory Peak ski resort, and the Le’Echuwanna tribe, who were the land's first protectors. Other people also come into the valley, trying to find their place and purpose. At its heart, the book asks, who owns the land? And what do we owe the people and nature that get pushed aside?
The author’s central argument is that the pursuit of ambition—whether personal or economic—often comes at the cost of relationships and cultural roots. This is clear in the unraveling of the Macklemore family. Annabelle Macklemore, for instance, reflects on her failing marriage: “Life was not for changing on Tuesday; it was for getting to Wednesday, then Thursday, then Friday, when, thankfully, the weekend could start.” This quote captures her resignation and the slow erosion of hope, tying personal struggles to broader themes of loss.
The author writes about real things—colonialism, environmental damage, and broken families—but in a personal way. He doesn’t lecture. He tells stories. The resort, Glory Peak, becomes a symbol of how progress can look beautiful on the outside while quietly hurting everything underneath. He also writes about what it means to grow up in a place full of history. For Clover, it’s not just about learning where she comes from. It’s about deciding what kind of legacy she wants to carry forward. Kevin makes a clear point: if we try to move forward without making things right, it causes harm and won't last.
Critics have praised the book for its emotional depth and how quickly it moves, saying it keeps readers hooked from start to finish. It’s a story that makes you think about protecting our environment, respecting different cultures, and what true progress really means. If you enjoy family sagas with strong characters and a powerful message, you’ll find this novel a rewarding experience.
July 1, 2025
Set in the imaginary alpine community of Fortooth Bend, this gripping, multi-layered tale spans decades of memory, ambition, and quiet tragedy. Both grandeur and grief may be seen in the landscape itself, which is home to the Le'Echuwanna people's respected customs and the ever-expanding Macklemore family ski empire.A very personal family drama lies at the center of the narrative. The Macklemores are bound by vision and loss, their legacy carved as much into one another as it is into the mountain. Bill Macklemore, the family’s domineering patriarch and a former war hero, is consumed by his dream of turning Fortooth into a world-class resort, even at the cost of alienating his own blood and displacing Indigenous culture. His son Bobby, weighed down by the quiet ache of expectation, resists that legacy but finds himself trapped within its orbit. In one of the novel’s most haunting sequences, Bobby and his wife Annabelle—meeting on a Tuesday morning to finalize their divorce—attempt to climb Miner’s Gasp, a trail once filled with hope. The hike, filled with tenderness, buried affection, and the raw awkwardness of parting, becomes tragically symbolic when the mountain quite literally swallows them in an avalanche. Their daughter, Clover, inherits not only the family name but the moral and emotional wreckage left behind. Mt. Forgotten is a story of what we build, what we bury, and how the past is never quite as frozen as we’d like to believe.
June 30, 2025
Suspenseful and Exciting
"Mt. Forgotten" by Kevin Casanova Abrams is a thrilling story that takes readers on an emotional rollercoaster. The narrative revolves around life in a "forgotten" town that is revitalized when Billy, a military veteran, decides to settle there, explore its potential, and invest in it. However, this transformation is not fully embraced by the locals, who are accustomed to the town's laid-back nature.
I really enjoyed the book's opening and appreciated the humor in the line, "Tuesday, officially, the most pointless day of the week. So pointless, in fact, Tuesday's mother refused to acknowledge Tuesday's existence." This phrase effectively sets the tone for the story. Additionally, I liked the author's straightforward writing style, where he calls a spade a spade.
Some characters, particularly Clover, resonated with me. I felt a strong sense of empathy for her when her life changed dramatically after her separated parents went to an appointment to finalize their divorce and never returned. The detailed exploration of different timelines added suspense and depth to the story. I also appreciated the ending, where Clover's parents passed away embracing each other, symbolizing a last-minute reunion.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading "Mt. Forgotten" and highly recommend it to anyone who loves literary fiction.
"Mt. Forgotten" by Kevin Casanova Abrams is a thrilling story that takes readers on an emotional rollercoaster. The narrative revolves around life in a "forgotten" town that is revitalized when Billy, a military veteran, decides to settle there, explore its potential, and invest in it. However, this transformation is not fully embraced by the locals, who are accustomed to the town's laid-back nature.
I really enjoyed the book's opening and appreciated the humor in the line, "Tuesday, officially, the most pointless day of the week. So pointless, in fact, Tuesday's mother refused to acknowledge Tuesday's existence." This phrase effectively sets the tone for the story. Additionally, I liked the author's straightforward writing style, where he calls a spade a spade.
Some characters, particularly Clover, resonated with me. I felt a strong sense of empathy for her when her life changed dramatically after her separated parents went to an appointment to finalize their divorce and never returned. The detailed exploration of different timelines added suspense and depth to the story. I also appreciated the ending, where Clover's parents passed away embracing each other, symbolizing a last-minute reunion.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading "Mt. Forgotten" and highly recommend it to anyone who loves literary fiction.
July 1, 2025
Great story on so many levels
This novel has so many captivating components that I don't know where to start.
First, it is an intergenerational novel comprising three generations of a family in a small town. It focuses on relationships between family members and between people in the community.
It is also about people's relationship with nature. There is a strong thread about becoming one with air, not intruding on nature, and living in harmony with one's surroundings. It also addresses the relationship with the local native Americans and European Americans.
On top of that, it is a love story, or should I say several love stories. It is about passionate love, love that has fizzled out, and filling the emptiness when we are mourning the loss of love.
The novel contains numerous tragic elements, but it also demonstrates perseverance, endurance, and hope.
This is for anyone who likes epic novels. However, if you like skiing, nature, and cold weather, you will feel in your element in this novel as well. The author's description of the scenery is breathtaking. The characters also provide a comic element.
I didn't realize this was the first part of a trilogy. I am looking forward to reading the next two. This has the possibility of being a great TV show or the makings of a mini series.
This novel has so many captivating components that I don't know where to start.
First, it is an intergenerational novel comprising three generations of a family in a small town. It focuses on relationships between family members and between people in the community.
It is also about people's relationship with nature. There is a strong thread about becoming one with air, not intruding on nature, and living in harmony with one's surroundings. It also addresses the relationship with the local native Americans and European Americans.
On top of that, it is a love story, or should I say several love stories. It is about passionate love, love that has fizzled out, and filling the emptiness when we are mourning the loss of love.
The novel contains numerous tragic elements, but it also demonstrates perseverance, endurance, and hope.
This is for anyone who likes epic novels. However, if you like skiing, nature, and cold weather, you will feel in your element in this novel as well. The author's description of the scenery is breathtaking. The characters also provide a comic element.
I didn't realize this was the first part of a trilogy. I am looking forward to reading the next two. This has the possibility of being a great TV show or the makings of a mini series.
June 30, 2025
A Beautiful Tangle of Family, Land, and Identity
Mt. Forgotten by Kevin Casanova Abrams is a sweeping, multi-generational tale set in the fictional town of Fortooth Bend, a place as wild and layered as the characters who call it home. The story follows the rise of Glory Peak, a glitzy ski resort built on sacred Le’Echuwanna land, and the tension that brews between progress and preservation. At the center is Clover Macklemore, a fiercely original heroine caught between her grandfather’s legacy and the tribal traditions that shaped the land. The novel moves effortlessly through decades, blending wit, heartache, and cultural reckoning into a plot full of twists and emotional depth.
What I loved most was how the writing felt both poetic and grounded, pulling me in from the first sentence. The humor, especially in the quirky character moments, balances the weight of the story’s deeper themes. Abrams has a gift for creating vivid scenes and complex characters you can’t help but root for, even when they’re flawed. Whether you're here for the family drama, the spiritual undertones, or the charm of a small mountain town, this book delivers. It's a strong start to a trilogy I’m already looking forward to continuing.
Mt. Forgotten by Kevin Casanova Abrams is a sweeping, multi-generational tale set in the fictional town of Fortooth Bend, a place as wild and layered as the characters who call it home. The story follows the rise of Glory Peak, a glitzy ski resort built on sacred Le’Echuwanna land, and the tension that brews between progress and preservation. At the center is Clover Macklemore, a fiercely original heroine caught between her grandfather’s legacy and the tribal traditions that shaped the land. The novel moves effortlessly through decades, blending wit, heartache, and cultural reckoning into a plot full of twists and emotional depth.
What I loved most was how the writing felt both poetic and grounded, pulling me in from the first sentence. The humor, especially in the quirky character moments, balances the weight of the story’s deeper themes. Abrams has a gift for creating vivid scenes and complex characters you can’t help but root for, even when they’re flawed. Whether you're here for the family drama, the spiritual undertones, or the charm of a small mountain town, this book delivers. It's a strong start to a trilogy I’m already looking forward to continuing.
June 24, 2025
Mt. Forgotten takes place in a town where people loved to hike and stay active. Though a lot of townies grew up exploring the mountain, it sadly had claimed some lives. Clover was waiting for her mother to get her out of bed to get ready for school. She comes and asks her to stay home; she was going to meet her father for a few minutes, and she would be back. Clover reluctantly agrees, and her mother leaves. She builds a fort and keeps busy until Nanny A comes and asks her where her mom is. That's when they slowly find out there was an avalanche and her parents are missing, her mother's car found half covered in snow.The book is detailed in different times, and as the story progresses, it gives a sense of suspense that keeps the reader curious and keeps you wanting to read more. The book has mentions of traditional beliefs, which I found so amusing. It kept me entertained, and I loved the storyline so much.
July 4, 2025
This is a plot-driven, ski-related, family drama covering several generations. Non-linear in form, it moves between the perspectives of Anabelle and Bobby Mac, the Le’Echuwanna tribe and William Macklemore. By going back to 1988, the story fills in the gaps explaining why the patriarch, William Macklemore, is hated by his son due to his greed and manipulative ambition. However, the affairs between characters make most of them disloyal, with questionable behaviour. The most interesting elements are the Le’Echuwanna tribe with their rituals and desire to preserve and work in harmony with nature. Despite their prominence on the cover, the alpaca business feels a bit of a sideline. The ending is logical, with the businesses being consolidated in the hands of the last person standing.
There is an aim to portray something different, but it lacks the characterisation of a true family saga.
There is an aim to portray something different, but it lacks the characterisation of a true family saga.
November 4, 2025
Talk about a contemporary epic! You get captured and entranced by the first chapter alone, then captivated by the stories and histories showcasing the humanity of each of the characters. A beautiful read for 2025.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews