The Life of Aidan

East of the Mountains

Aidan's closeness with Ben, departure for war, and death leave a lasting absence in his brother's life.

increasing

Bearing strength in each event

decreasing

Brothers in the Orchard Brothers in the Orchard from "East of the Mountains". Brothers in the Orchard Shared labor Aidan and Ben grow up working the same orchard, caring for animals, and helping with seasonal tasks.

Brothers in the Orchard from "East of the Mountains". Brothers in the Orchard Shared labor Aidan and Ben grow up working the same orchard, caring for animals, and helping with seasonal tasks.

Brothers in the Orchard Shared labor Aidan and Ben grow up working the same orchard, caring for animals, and helping with seasonal tasks. Their common responsibilities make companionship part of daily life. Shared country They hunt, ride, climb, and camp across the river basin. Their adventures give the brothers a language built from landscape and experience. Different temperaments Aidan is steady and amiable, while Ben is more inward and ambitious. Their differences deepen rather than weaken their bond.

A Brother's Encouragement A Brother's Encouragement from "East of the Mountains". A Brother's Encouragement A possible education Ruth Dietrich urges Ben to consider university, seeing abilities that could carry him beyond orchard work.

A Brother's Encouragement from "East of the Mountains". A Brother's Encouragement A possible education Ruth Dietrich urges Ben to consider university, seeing abilities that could carry him beyond orchard work.

A Brother's Encouragement A possible education Ruth Dietrich urges Ben to consider university, seeing abilities that could carry him beyond orchard work. Ben is unsure whether leaving his family is right. Aidan's counsel Aidan tells Ben he should go, offering support without making the choice for him. His quiet encouragement recognizes Ben's potential. A path opened The exchange marks a turning point in Ben's imagination of his future. His brother's support helps make departure conceivable.

The Last Camp The Last Camp from "East of the Mountains". The Last Camp A final outing Ben and Aidan ride into the hills, hunt grouse, and camp beneath a stormy sky.

The Last Camp from "East of the Mountains". The Last Camp A final outing Ben and Aidan ride into the hills, hunt grouse, and camp beneath a stormy sky.

The Last Camp A final outing Ben and Aidan ride into the hills, hunt grouse, and camp beneath a stormy sky. The familiar rituals make the outing feel both ordinary and final. A confession Aidan admits that he does not want to join the Army and misses the life he knows. Ben listens but cannot offer a way out. Parting at dawn They look across the river toward distant mountains and talk of climbs they never made. The unrealized journeys acquire added weight after Aidan's death.

Aidan's Death Aidan's Death from "East of the Mountains". Aidan's Death News from the Pacific Ben learns that Aidan was killed at Peleliu by mortar fire.

Aidan's Death from "East of the Mountains". Aidan's Death News from the Pacific Ben learns that Aidan was killed at Peleliu by mortar fire.

Aidan's Death News from the Pacific Ben learns that Aidan was killed at Peleliu by mortar fire. The loss comes while Ben is already carrying the trauma of combat in Italy. A family unmade The brothers' shared future disappears, and their father sells the orchard soon afterward. Personal grief and the loss of home reinforce each other. An enduring absence Ben returns repeatedly to memories of Aidan in the mountains and orchard. The brother remains present in the life Ben remembers, but absent from the life he lives.

The Brother in Memory The Brother in Memory from "East of the Mountains". The Brother in Memory A remembered childhood As Ben crosses familiar country, memories of Aidan's rides, climbs, and orchard work surface.

The Brother in Memory from "East of the Mountains". The Brother in Memory A remembered childhood As Ben crosses familiar country, memories of Aidan's rides, climbs, and orchard work surface.

The Brother in Memory A remembered childhood As Ben crosses familiar country, memories of Aidan's rides, climbs, and orchard work surface. The landscape becomes a trigger for the brother's continuing presence in his mind. Grief beside illness Ben faces his own approaching death while carrying the earlier loss of Aidan. The two forms of mortality are linked but not interchangeable. A life shaped by absence Aidan's death helped leave Ben with a deep attachment to remembered places and people. The journey brings that attachment into focus rather than resolving it.

Their childhood and adolescence

Ben's school years

Before Aidan's military departure

After the war in Italy

During Ben's final journey