November, 1949: In the aftermath of his brother James's death, Richard MacEwan's life is suddenly rocked by secrets involving his wife Sarah and daughter Anna. Among his bachelor brother's papers, Richard discovers a letter from Sarah that hints at an infidelity. Then there is Anna's affair with a married man, Charles Norden, which threatens to change her life forever. The story of Richard, Sarah, Anna, and Charles—along with the troubling legacy of James—is one of faith and doubt, profound moral and spiritual conflict, and the intricate bonds that hold families together.

 

“The most absorbing, most intelligent and most wholly satisfying novel I've read in a good while—certainly since Richard Ford's Pulitzer-winning Independence Day … A beautiful and haunting novel of character.”—Don Fry, Seattle Times