“A moody, finely textured literary work.” —Kirkus Reviews Could you transplant yourself from the city to a remote farm in the vast reaches of the western prairies? Del and Ivy have done just that, retiring to a farm in an attempt to repair the cracks in their relationship, but the transition from urban to rural lifestyle proves to be more than a little bumpy, especially for Del. While the couple interacts with an eclectic cast of local characters, including a stuttering auctioneer, an androgynous postmistress, an irascible barkeeper and a menacing figure named Hunter who has a dark history with their farm, they struggle to fit in and to stay together. In the midst of all this, a wild dog becomes Del’s confidant. As the story unfolds, for everyone but the dog, things will change dramatically. Norman’s prose is deceptively simple in style, painting the subtleties of Edgeworthy and its people in direct, muscular language. He particularly excels at dialogue. It’s an intriguing take on the genre of the small-town novel, in which a brooding, silent figure is both the protagonist and a newcomer; indeed, the ways in which Norman shows these qualities to be weaknesses are surprising. Readers will experience a ghostly pleasure in watching Del move around the cold prairie locale; seeking answers to questions that are, in large part, about himself. —Kirkus Reviews