A police report of a car accident and a progress report by an occupational therapist set the scene for a melancholic tale that unfolds as the result of a collision that occurs when the sudden appearance of a dog on the road causes the car to brake sharply and collide with a truck, severing the driver's hand and killing his young daughter. Until that moment, life had been blessed for Owen and his wife, Mel, who are happily married with two children and a third on the way. Having been raised on his grandparents' farm, Owen has learned to be independent and resourceful. Postaccident, his life goes into freefall as Mel blames him for their daughter's death. His phantom limb pain ends his gardening business and leads to alcohol abuse. When Mel discontinues Owen's visitation rights and announces her plans to take the children to Canada, his only hope of seeing them again is to kidnap them.
VERDICT Like Cormac McCarthy's The Road without the apocalypse, this story will seize readers' hearts and have them rooting for the survival of a father and his children on the run. Pears (In a Land of Plenty) has produced another strong, sympathetic winner.
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