First published 2005
It's the Fourth of July in the tiny town of Hamlet, Vermont. As the community gathers to celebrate a grammar school graduation, Miss Earth's wedding, and the holiday, an unexpected visitor arrives - a giant spider from the town's past. This familiar yet bizarre creature sparks wonder, fear, and connection among the locals, for whom the annual festivities have become a comforting ritual. At the heart of the story lies the bittersweet challenge of moving forward while holding onto the past.
Genres: fiction, family-life, contemporary, magical-realism
Vibes: atmospheric, emotional, thought-provoking
Tropes: bittersweet, found-family
Setting: Vermont, Hamlet
Period: 20th-century, 21st-century
225 pages · Hardcover · Clarion Books