Richard Quinn welcomes his readers with a warm portrait of southwest New York State's majestic landscape, which is home to Ben Bowden, his wife Angela, and their two children.
The Bowden family is likable, imperfect, and relatable. Their story is a personal and poignant tale told through the eyes and narrative of young daughter Sydney whose storytelling allows readers confidante-level access to seemingly ordinary lives nestled deep within the woodlands of the Catskill Mountains watershed.
When a single mother and her troubled son move in and upend their quiet community, the Bowden clan's outwardly idyllic existence slowly finds itself facing hurdles. Surfacing family dysfunction, mental instability, bullying, harassment, sexual assault, and a traumatic death all threaten the preservation of life and family security as they know it.
Their efforts to regain a sense of normalcy sheds light on both their resourcefulness and limited life experience in this coming of age tour de force.