Rash, better known for his poetry, won the 2002 Novello Festival Press Literary Award for the manuscript of this compelling first novel. The plot combines a love triangle and a murder. From the beginning, you know who done it and, soon enough, why; the mystery is in the disappearance of Holland Winchester's body. Rash uses this plot device successfully by dividing the novel into five sections, narrated by the sheriff, the wife, the husband, the son, and the deputy. Each perspective reveals more about the characters and their motivations and actions while exploring themes of love, infidelity, revenge, justice, and fate. The conversations tell the thoughts and superstitions of various family members, neighbors, and the local witch to create the Appalachian South immediately after World War II. Beautiful writing -- it's easy to see he is a poet. This is a book I could reread just for the nuances of language. A quiet storm of a book.

This was a beautifully written book about family, storytelling, miracles and the importance of the journey.

Asthmatic youngster Reuben Land tells the admittedly shaggy-dog story of his older brother Davy, who shoots and kills two violent intruders as they break into the family's home; Davy is convicted but manages to flee. Both the Lands and the law follow in hot pursuit, but the family seems to have support from a higher power—father Jeremiah himself has performed a miracle or two in his lifetime (walking on water, healing the afflicted with his touch, and the like). Biblical allusions abound, and fantastic things happen, such as the patriarch's four-mile tour via tornado. "Make of it what you will," says Reuben.


This book brought out a lot of sympathy for the older brother's plight after the killing. He was found guilty of something he had to do. The author raised a lot of questions about innocence/guilt that are difficult to answer cleanly.