From Publishers Weekly
An old rancher reluctantly takes in his daughter-in-law and granddaughter in this moving and well-crafted, if rather derivative, second novel by Spragg (
The Fruit of Stone). Jean Gilkyson hasn't been back to her hometown of Ishawooa, Wyo., since her husband, Griffin, died in a car accident. Jean was driving, and Griffin's father, Einar, has never forgiven her for his son's death. Ten years and four boyfriends later, Jean has run out of money and options. With her precocious nine-year-old daughter, Griff, she escapes boyfriend number four, a smirking brute named Roy. Einar isn't happy to see mother or daughter, but Griff loves his log house and ranch life. She makes friends right away with Mitch, Einar's old Vietnam War buddy, who's been mauled by a grizzly and is horribly scarred, and gradually wins over her grandfather. Meanwhile, Jean is charming the town sheriff, which comes in handy when Roy tracks her down. Spragg's spare storytelling is rock solid, but he covers well-worn territory in language familiar to readers of Cormac McCarthy and Kent Haruf, never quite striking off on his own.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
For prodigal daughter Jean Gilkyson, home is the tiny hamlet of Ishawooa, Wyoming, where her estranged father-in-law stubbornly blames her for the accidental death of his son. Jean's 10-year old daughter, Griff, has never known she has a grandfather, until abusive boyfriend Roy bashes in the side of Jean's face and puts mother and daughter on the road home. The two narrators, Tony Amendola and Judith Marx, alternate chapters to reflect the novel's shifting points of view; what could have been a distraction instead adds layers of nuance as the two hard-worn protagonists are illuminated. This bold choice elevates the story beyond the ordinary. Marx astutely conveys Jean's evolving love of the ranch, the land, and the old man who stewards them. Both Amendola and Marx do justice to the taut final showdown, heightening the listener's response. R.O. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine--
Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine
--This text refers to the
Audio CD
edition.
