This book reads like a thriller. Sally Lee Stewart's ability to uncover the kernal of truth in a variety of dysfunctional familial circumstances is impeccable. A master at creating character from the inside out, the drive of each character is revealed in achingly poetic and generous terms. The story is fraught with a palpable tension as each character's instincts play out in a universe in which pervasive existential loneliness is a given, with the grandeur of nature as its chief salve. At they eye of this novel's storm is a chronically alcoholic father, an enigma whose searing needs both define and decimate the family structure. The story chronicles the life of one of his five daughters, who, like many of the great characters in fiction, walks the tightrope between being a discerning observer while maintaining direction amidst the storms of her own keen sensitivity. This book vibrates with an inherent sensuality, sexuality, and beauty, and could only have been written by a woman whose own journey is driven by a hunger -- an instinct -- to experience the awe and release that comes from deeply witnessing the natural world in all its forms.
