The Sky Line of Spruce

"The Sky Line of Spruce" by Edison Marshall is a story about identity and starting over. Ben Kinney, a convict with amnesia, is working on a road crew when he starts to remember pieces of his past after meeting Ezra Melville. This encounter sends Ben and Ezra on a journey to unlock Ben's lost memories, highlighted against the backdrop of a natural setting where the rugged wilderness is as important to the story as the characters. Kinney, very different from the other inmates, struggles with his identity as his mental fog begins to lift. The wilderness setting is presented as a place of healing and clarity, offering Ben a chance for possible redemption as he tries to put together the puzzle of his past with Ezra's help.