First published 2005
In the late 1950s, Tyler Caskey, a minister in the small town of West Annett, Maine, grapples with profound loss and a crisis of faith. As he tries to reconnect with his young daughter and his flock, dark secrets are unearthed, testing the community's humanity and Tyler's own resilience. Strout's luminous prose draws readers into the ordinary lives of extraordinary people, revealing the transformative power of grace in the face of life's harshest trials.
Genres: literary-fiction, contemporary, family-drama
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: crisis-of-faith, grief, resilience
Setting: Maine, New England, West Annett
Period: 1950s
321 pages · Paperback · Downtown Press