Charles and Addington Gaunt must find their free-spirited brother, Simon, who has gone missing in the wilds of the American West. They enlist the services of a guide to lead them on their journey across a harsh and unknown landscape. This is the enigmatic Jerry Potts, half Blackfoot, half Scottish, who suffers his own painful past.
They are joined by Lucy Stoveall, a woman filled with rage and sorrow over the loss of her young sister Madge who was brutally murdered. She is on a vengeful mission to track down and kill the murderous Kelso brothers. The group is joined by a jumble of other characters en route, each of whom are forced to confront their own demons.
But at the novel's centre is a love story. Vanderhaeghe glides effortlessly through the patois and frontier talk, faultlessly switching from cultured English characters to American roughnecks to Scots-Canadians, and the natural prairie landscape is evoked brilliantly.
- 'At heart this is a story about love and its tragicomic dependence upon character. This is a rich, emotionally intelligent, vital novel - a treat to read' Sally Vickers, OBSERVER
- 'Brute savagery, high jinks and a great deal of blackish humour' SPECTATOR
- 'Vanderhaeghe is a narrative wizard and the book is full of brilliant set pieces.' DAILY TELEGRAPH
- 'An engaging adventure.' IRISH TIMES
Paperback:
£7.99
Published 03/02/2005
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