After a near-fatal accident involving a Mack truck shortly after entering Virginia, Cosmo is profoundly grateful to be alive, his senses heightened to the physical world around him. As they drive through the Blue Ridge Mountains, he is struck by their majestic beauty, feeling as if “he’s seeing the world for the first time in his life.”
The siblings travel along the Blue Ridge Parkway, a scenic highway that connects Shenandoah National Park and Skyline Drive in Virginia with the Great Smoky Mountains National Park spanning North Carolina and Tennessee. The Great Smoky Mountains, almost indistinguishable from the Blue Ridge range, remind Cosmo that it is autumn, with forests painted in brilliant shades of orange, red, and yellow. Autumn has always been his favorite season, evoking childhood memories of school, learning, and the joy of gathering knowledge. Symbolically, the season also mirrors the novel’s themes of death and rebirth.
Shaken by the accident, Cosmo insists on stopping early for the night, while Silvia, barely affected, resists the change in plans. This disagreement marks the beginning of an ongoing dynamic between the siblings: she is always in a rush, while he seeks to slow down and savor the journey. Ultimately, Silvia relents, and they stay at a motel in Virginia for the night. The next morning, Cosmo is eager to resume the road trip, ready to experience the Blue Ridge Mountains in the clear light of day.
This post is from my blog series on the places visited in the road trip story, “Discovery of an Eagle.”
Grace Mattioli is the author of the Greco Family Trilogy books, including Olive Branches Don’t Grow on Trees, Discovery of an Eagle, and The Bird that Sang in Color. These books are available from all major online book sellers, including Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Apple Books.
