Minot, Susan

The novel’s structure is a bit unbalanced, but it showcases best Minot’s characteristically elegant and sparse prose. For most readers, this work won’t hold up to the standard that Minot set with earlier works, such as her first novel, Monkeys.

Though not easy to read, this is a deeply affecting title that manages to express weighty sentiments and horrific events with subtlety and poetry and also marks Minot's first major work since her 1997 novel Evening. [See Prepub Alert, 8/19/13.]