Critical Praise

"Surely one of this year's best novels . . . Outstanding . . . [Displays] heart, compassion, and a willingness to tackle the most fundamental, and insolvable questions of faith, belief, and personal responsibility."

——Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

"An intense and affecting journey of faith, miracle and humanity."

——Denver Post "Blends some of the appeal of Stephen King's uncanny tales . . . and John Updike's fables . . . Thoroughly absorbing . . . Guterson writes virtuoso dialogue."

"Magnificent . . . Reading it, I kept putting [Guterson] in the best possible literary company . . . I was in a state of elation while I was reading . . . A marvelous book, in every sense."

——Jonathan Raban

"An intense, gripping read . . . Finely etched characters, the most intriguing and fully realized cast in any Guterson novel . . . Should resonate with many readers searching for belief in the post-9/11 world."

——Seattle Post-Intelligencer

"Spellbinding . . . Mesmerizing . . . Brilliantly conceived . . . A marvelous and affecting spectacle, both timeless and contemporary, that makes for electric reading."

——Seattle Times

"Explores a complex and challenging set of questions without a hint of condescension . . . The dimensions of this compelling novel are catholic in the larger sense."

——Christian Science Monitor

"This is Guterson's best book."

——Chicago Sun-Times

"Another virtuoso performance from David Guterson . . . Gripping . . . Marks an expansion of his vision . . . Transporting . . . Balances on the tension between belief and despair without ever losing its sense of mystery."

——L.A. Times Book Review