Set in a New Mexico where the ““the sun melt[s] behind the blue mountains, oozing streaks of gold and violet,” Reine’s suspenseful but humane domestic drama, the second in the Pioneer Ranch series (after She Died Then Showed Me), centers on a mother, the successful artist Peyton, and her and her family’s dread of her youngest son, “the dreaded Gideon,” a pugnacious and aggrieved know-it-all who locals joke “might be possessed.” Reine builds up to Gideon’s arrival in the story, on the occasion of a dinner celebrating his showjumping, veterinarian-to-be sister Bryce, with unsettling power, establishing a desert ranch world of good taste, loving mixed family, Art in America interviews, and disquiet about Gideon’s imminent entrance, which is announced by nothing less than “skidding wheels, crunching metal, and shattering porcelain.”Reine again showcases an ability to touchingly weave sorrow, grief, humor, and love with complex and resonant blended family dynamics and an eye for environments, especially physical landscapes. While the opening chapters might seem to paint Gideon as an antagonist or even villain, an agent of discord speaking viciousness he seems to believe is truth, Reine is too shrewd and empathetic to keep things simple. As the pages quickly pass, and the story seems to edge toward tragedy, readers get a deeper look into these people, their pasts, and their rifts, the central relationship as rocky yet fascinating as the terrain on which they live.
Fearlessly untangling the complexities of relationships, loss, and perseverance, this is a novel that is both hopeful and relatable. Peyton’s marriage to cowboy Blake, who is not Gideon’s father, is eventually put to the test as they navigate the destruction left by her son. Her identity as an artist is threatened, a bitter rivalry ensues, an old love returns, and Peyton finds herself facing hard choices and opposing paths. The magical realism, respectful interest in Navajo and Ute cultures, and deep spirituality contribute in bringing captivating depth to every character.
Takeaway: Stellar family drama of an artist mother, a difficult son, and hard choices.
Comparable Titles: Lynne M. Spreen; Marylee MacDonald’s Montpelier Tomorrow.
Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A
