**“Scott O'Connor speaks softly and somehow manages to make something beautiful of unspeakable matters... a voice so insistently stirring, you want to lean in close to catch every word.” —The New York Times Book Review “Astonishing... Introducing an amazing new talent to the world of fiction.” — Library Journal (Starred Review) “O'Connor's prose is as beautifully terse as his plot... like the inevitable waking from a halcyon dream.” — Booklist “When it is over you wish you could read it all for the first time, again. That is how good this book is.” — Crimespree Magazine A heartfelt, gripping novel from the critically acclaimed author of A Perfect Universe , Half World , and Among Wolves .** A year has passed since Lucy Darby's unexpected death, leaving her husband David and son Whitley to mend the gaping hole in their lives. With the looming uncertainty of Y2K, David is haunted by questions pertaining to the events of Lucy's death and Whitley—an 11-year-old social pariah who still believes his mother is alive—enlists the help of his small group of misfit friends to bring her back. As David continues to lose his grip on reality and Whitley's sense of urgency grows, the two begin to uncover truths that will force them to confront their deepest fears about each other and the wounded family they are trying desperately to save.