M.C. Higgins, the Great

Written by Virginia Hamilton

A boy dreams of escape as strangers bring hope and freedom to his mountain home.

3.4 Goodreads · 4,435 ratings

288 pages· 560L

$7.99Save 5%

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Bookroo's summary

Mayo Cornelius Higgins perches atop a steel pole, overlooking the Appalachian landscape and the looming threat of a strip mining rubble heap. As his home faces danger, M.C. dreams of escape for his family. When two strangers arrive, one offering fame for his mother and the other a glimpse of unimaginable freedom, M.C. must decide whether to fight for his home or seize a new future. Will these visitors bring salvation or further turmoil to Sarah’s Mountain?

From the publisher

Discover this masterpiece from Virginia Hamilton that was the first book to win the Newberry, the National Book Award, and the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award.

Mayo Cornelius Higgins sits on his gleaming, forty-foot steel pole, towering over his home on Sarah’s Mountain. Stretched before him are rolling hills and shady valleys. But behind him lie the wounds of strip mining, including a mountain of rubble that may one day fall and bury his home.

M.C. dreams of escape for himself and his family. And, one day, atop his pole, he thinks he sees it—two strangers are making their way toward Sarah’s Mountain. One has the ability to make M.C.’s mother famous. And the other has the kind of freedom that M.C. has never even considered.