One cold, New Hampshire winter evening, NIcky joins her father, Robert, on a walk in the woods by their home just before sunset, and much to their shock they hear a mewling sound, which turns out to be an abandoned newborn baby. They immediately jump into action, Robert tucking the baby into his shirt to warm her up, and running back to their home, hopping into their car and driving the slick roads as fast as possible to the hospital. And while Robert has been seeking to be as inconspicuous as possible, ever since the “accident,” this simple act of kindness has changed all of that, bringing them into a spotlight of sorts. When a stranger appears under the guise of shopping for furniture built by Nicky’s father, it both endangers them and opens up conversations Nicky and her father have been unable to have.
Anita Shreve is another author who can richly craft a story piece by gradual piece. As Nicky and Robert are blundering through their painful present, we learn in small morsels of their happier past, before the tragic accident that changed their lives forever. We peek at moments of their life back in New York, when Nicky had friends and sleepovers and after-school activities. Not like now, when she’s living deep in the woods, secluded with her father who loves her but has been silenced by his own pain. Their story unfolds as they remember, as they open up, as they gradually attempt to heal.
There is also an ever-present suspense that thrums in the background throughout and builds as the story progresses. This adds to the reader’s urge to move on, to need to know what happens, even as the pace is as plodding as the snow that piles high and pauses the action in the story. It is very effective and keeps one glued to these pages.
I highly recommend this novel – excellent writing, richly developed characters, and a strongly constructed plot.
kindread spirits 