Written by by Annie DeWitt

A unique coming of age novel that is both beautiful and disturbing, propelled as much by the lyricism of the language and imagery as by the story.

The novel takes place in a single summer on a dirt road in rural New England. It has at its heart a family coming apart at the seams, as witnessed by Jean, the 12-year-old daughter who escapes her sometimes brutal reality by wild escapes of her imagination.

The story IS the language and the unique places it goes:

“Perhaps , I thought, this is what is meant by witness. The act of stealing something private from someone, something they otherwise would never have released into the world.”

“Father took the roads slowly on the way home. We cranked down the windows and drove by all the people in their houses where the lights fell down at the end of the day. I let my arm out to catch the breeze. I thought about what it takes for a family to fall out of love with each other. Who knew how long this would keep? Our four bodies in this bucket of tin cruising the back roads of some town we only half recognized in the shadows. The rain was loud in the branches. Everyone had gone to bed except for the dogs.”

It is a beautiful piece that begs to be re-read, as the writing is that good. The prose is meant to be savored, like an exquisite meal.