First published 1986
Sam Adams measures distances and draws boundaries for a living, but he cannot map his way out of personal chaos. His wife has walked out the door, leaving him to navigate single parenthood and professional obligations alone. The careful precision that defines his cartography work offers no guidance when he learns his son has developed a dangerous fascination with setting fires. Sam watches his boy strike matches and light paper scraps, each small flame representing something larger and more destructive brewing beneath the surface. The man who charts territories for others must now explore the unmapped terrain of his fractured family. He struggles to understand what drove his wife away and what draws his child toward destruction. Sam's world shrinks to the space between his drafting table and his son's bedroom, where he keeps vigil against the next fire.
Genres: literary-fiction, contemporary, psychological-thriller, family-drama
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: character-driven, family-drama
Setting: Cartography
245 pages · Hardcover · Random House
Content warnings: mental-illness