First published 2023
A piece of metal breaks off a DC-8 and plummets to earth, killing a child and shattering a young Jesuit's faith. Meanwhile, a boy watches his mother die on his fifth birthday, igniting a rage he carries into adulthood. Each year he stages wild confrontations with whatever force allowed such cruel timing. In Seattle, a woman running through the city witnesses a meteor streak across the sky. The moment fills her with transformative love that will eventually reach both the doubting priest and the furious man. Their separate paths converge in Montana, where a makeshift community takes shape on the healing landscape. Spiritual seekers, city dwellers, traveling musicians, and local ranchers gather in this unlikely refuge. They share Maker's Mark poured over glacier ice and discover unexpected joy in each other's presence. Duncan weaves Eastern philosophy and abandoned religious dreams into his characters' search for meaning in contemporary America.
Genres: literary-fiction, contemporary, magical-realism
Vibes: intimate, lyrical, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, spiritual-journey
Setting: Seattle, Montana
Period: Contemporary
785 pages · Kindle Edition · Little, Brown and Company