This is actually my personal favorite of all of Ron Rash's books. The thinking behind Ron's writing is always deep and nuanced, and I believe that in this book his themes are most clear and thought-provoking. True, there is a death at the very beginning of this book, but the rest of the book is totally violence-free - another attribute I like about this work that does contrast with some of his other books. The person who dies in this book is a young woman who drowns in a rushing river that is a recreational mecca. Tumbling rocks have pinned her to the bottom of the river, and the central conflict of the book is between those who love her and want to retrieve her body without regard to how that might disturb the river and those whose priority is the preservation of the river itself. With this book you get Ron's poetic prose, his deep themes, and his mastery of plot in a story of non-violent conflict.
New York: Henry Holt: 2004. 239 pages. Hardback in dust jacket.