First published 2003
Willem Fremont has lived his entire adult life trapped by panic disorder. Now in his twilight years, he travels back to Purvis, Mississippi, convinced his childhood home holds the key to breaking free. He finds his father's land occupied by the eccentric Till family. Eilene Till, tiny as a dress form, pretends deafness to cope with her two struggling sons. Sonny, massively overweight and jobless, constructs a shrimp boat in the landlocked backyard while searching for love. Bruno returned from Vietnam with a spinal injury and metal brace, losing himself in old National Geographic magazines while his wife Leah tends their farm seeking small daily comforts. These damaged lives intersect as Willem confronts his past. The story explores how broken people find unexpected reconciliation and discover love can be rekindled even in the most unlikely circumstances.
Genres: literary-fiction, mental-health, contemporary, family-drama
Vibes: emotional-atmospheric, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, second-chance
Setting: Mississippi, Purvis, Vietnam
Period: Twilight Years, Vietnam War
400 pages · Hardcover · Simon and Schuster
Content warnings: mental-illness, physical-abuse, war