First published 1999
With terminal cancer, retired heart surgeon Ben Givens sets out on a last hunting trip through the sweeping landscapes of the Pacific Northwest. Haunted by memories of his late wife and the promise he made her, Ben encounters strangers who challenge his stoic withdrawal from life. As he faces mortality, Ben's power to intervene in others' lives is unexpectedly called upon, testing his very identity.
Genres: fiction, literary-fiction, medical, contemporary
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: mortality, stoicism
Setting: Seattle, Washington
279 pages · Hardcover · Harcourt Brace and Company
Content warnings: terminal-illness