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37
FICTION
A wistful comedy of locals and summer people in coastal Maine
Changing times and personal failings have brought life to a standstill for the
natives of Ashton, Maine. On the far side of the river that divides the coastal
town, the prosperous summer residents come and go, seemingly complacent,
without having much to do with the locals.
But when Amber Waits crosses the river to take a job as a caregiver to demen-
tia sufferer Walter Sterling, all bets are off. She finds herself thrown into the
troubled lives of Walt, his distracted wife Geneva, and their resentful and reck-
less daughter Karen. And although he seems unaware of his surroundings, Walt
begins to exert a strange influence on Amber and her friends. Karen becomes
determined to make a dream come true by taking up with Robin Dunning, a local
seafarer with a shadowy past and questionable future. As Amber tries to fend off
one catastrophe after another, she has to muster her courage and resourcefulness
to save her friends and herself.
Norman Gilliland
is the author of two books
about classical music,
Grace Notes for a Year
and
Scores to Settle
, as well as two previous novels,
Sand Mansions
and
Midnight Catch
. He is also a
producer at Wisconsin Public Radio.
PAPERBACK ORIGINAL
OCTOBER
LC: 2013904698
360 PP. 6 × 9
Distributed for Nemo Productions
“You’ll be rooting for Norman
Gilliland’s well-drawn cast despite
all their human flaws—or perhaps
because of them. A rewarding,
touching read.”
—Kelly Harms, author
of
The Good Luck Girls of Shipwreck Lane
Of re l at ed int e re s t
Norman Gilliland
“Gilliland’s prose is so polished you can
smell the mangrove roots, the sultry
azaleas and the searing scorch of gunpow-
der.”—Sara Rath, author of
The Waters of
Star Lake
PUBLISHED OCTOBER 2012
LC: 2012902326 286 PP. 6 × 9
Distributed for Nemo Productions
Jordan Gilliland
