This slim, debut novel about a small-town community in northern Maine introduces various faulted, interconnected characters making their way through joys and tragedies over the course of a year. I'll definitely read the second in the series.
It's 1990 in small-town Dalton, Maine, and an interconnected group of neighbors, friends, spouses, and acquaintances support each other, sometimes struggle, and intersect with each other's lives.
Rose works at the diner, hiding her fading bruises and supporting her two young sons after her husband abandons them. Dr. Richard Haskell ventures in for more and more greasy breakfasts and lunch specials to keep an eye on her. That way his thoughts stray less often to his wife Trudy and her best friend Bev, who are undeniably in love.
Golden boy Nate grew up to become a police officer and marry his high-school sweetheart. He and his wife Bridget, daughter of the wealthiest family in town, welcomed their new baby earlier than expected, after a terrible accident. But while everyone thinks they've dodged the danger, Bridget secretly struggles with deep postpartum depression.
The tone of the book shifts from an interconnected, charming small-town tale to feeling as though a dark pall shrouds it all when a horrific tragedy takes place. The loss impacts almost every member of the community, and secrets come to light that affect many in the town.
Early in the story we learn about Bev and Trudy's longtime and somewhat surreptitious love. We also meet young Gregory, a promisingly complex character and unlikely hero who uses food as a crutch to coping with his emotions. His lifelong friendship with Angela is compromised when handsome Henry captures her attention--but Gregory is drawn to Henry as well. It's a poignant and layered love triangle that fizzles and reforms into unexpected bonds.
The story progresses to focus on Nate and his troubles, as well as the middle-aged men of the story and their plodding despair, struggles, and general inability to articulate their feelings or needs. In some cases, their clumsy but big-hearted attempts to stand tall for those around them feel all the more heartbreakingly noble because of their limited emotional range.
In this debut novel, which runs just 250 pages, Shannon Bowring dives into the small town's complex, faulted characters as they make their way in northern Maine over the course of a difficult year.
I'd love to hear your thoughts about this book!
Check out this link for more Bossy reviews of book set in Maine.
Shannon Bowring is also the author of Where the Forest Meets the River (Dalton, Maine #2). The third book in the series, In a Distant Valley, is scheduled for publication in 2025.
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