First published 1971
A husband and wife navigate the shifting terrain of their relationship as autumn approaches. He teaches at a small college while she tends to their home and children. Daily routines mask deeper questions about what they want from each other and from life itself. Small conversations reveal large silences. The changing season mirrors changes in their marriage as both partners confront what it means to commit to another person year after year. When crisis arrives, they must decide whether their bond can survive the weight of unspoken disappointments and unfulfilled dreams. Busch captures the quiet desperation of middle-class life and the fragile hope that keeps couples together even when they no longer recognize themselves or each other.
Genres: literary-fiction, domestic-fiction, american-fiction, 20th-century, contemporary, adult-fiction, 21st-century, family-drama
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: character-driven, quiet-desperation
156 pages · Hardcover · Marion Boyars Publishers Ltd