First published 1992
Howard Tetch stands at the center of a sprawling family story that reaches backward to his ancestors and forward to his children and grandchildren. He moves between solid ground and shifting waters, searching for ethical footing in a world that offers few clear answers. The weight of family history presses on him while he tries to make decisions that will shape future generations. His parents cast long shadows over his choices. His children watch and learn from his example. Each generation faces its own version of the same fundamental question: how to live with integrity when the moral landscape keeps changing. Howard discovers that finding balance requires constant adjustment, like walking on water that never stops moving.
Genres: fiction, family, literary-fiction, 20th-century, 21st-century, family-drama
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, moral-ambiguity
Period: 20th-century, 21st-century
769 pages · Hardcover · UNKNO