First published 2011
Harper Flute lives with her family in a small shanty during the Great Depression. Her younger brother Tin possesses an extraordinary talent for digging and spends his days burrowing beneath their home. Tin was born on a Thursday, which Harper believes destines him to wander. While their parents struggle against poverty, the silent boy retreats further into his underground world. Harper observes as Tin transforms into something wild and untamed. He creates an elaborate network of tunnels that extends far beyond their property. His family watches helplessly as he disappears deeper into his mysterious subterranean realm. The harder times become above ground, the more Tin withdraws below. Harper must reconcile her love for her strange brother with the growing distance between them. Hartnett crafts a story that blends harsh economic reality with elements of magical realism. The narrative captures both the practical struggles of a family in crisis and the surreal journey of a boy who finds refuge in the earth itself.
Genres: literary-fiction, 20th-century, magical-realism, family-drama
Vibes: atmospheric, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, found-family
Setting: Small Shanty
Period: Great Depression
224 pages · Paperback · GRANDES PERSONN