Above Your Raisin

Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court Nicholas (Nico) Grasso has a lapse in judicial temperament and shoves Vernon (Tree) Purcell into the swift and icy waters of the Rolling River in the high mountains of Colorado. Tree, a janitor, and a good one, is surprised by the ferocity of this attack even though he knows he has some talent for aggravating his betters. Justice Grasso comes to this pivotal moment to fly fish on the ranch of one of his true (billionaire) friends, Willard Jordan. Tree comes within drowning range of Nico after Tree has wandered from his native Alabama to try to get over the still searing death of his wife. Tree leaves his job as a high school janitor and eventually finds the same work on the Jordan ranch. After being baptized by Nico, Tree simply keeps swimming downriver because he decides he is done with Nico and with this job. Neither Tree nor Nico knows that Tree inadvertently has in his possession an unopened letter from the pope to Nico. Nico sets about getting the letter back from fear of having its contents revealed. Tree, having opened the letter, sets about jerking Nico's chain in a way that is deeply satisfying to Tree. Above Your Raisin is an exploration of love, grief, and loneliness; of the gifts that lie hidden within us; and of the friends that lie hidden to save us. Tree is a rare man with a rare mind on a rare journey.