In the Deep Midwinter

November, 1949: In the aftermath of his brother James's death, Richard MacEwan's life is suddenly rocked by secrets involving his wife Sarah and daughter Anna. Among his bachelor brother's papers, Richard discovers a letter from Sarah that hints at an infidelity. Then there is Anna's affair with a married man, Charles Norden, which threatens to change her life forever. The story of Richard, Sarah, Anna, and Charles-along with the troubling legacy of James-is one of faith and doubt, profound moral and spiritual conflict, and the intricate bonds that hold families together.

Robert Clark is the author of a biography of James Beard, The Solace of Food, and a cultural history of the Columbia River, River of the West (Picador). He lives in Seattle, Washington.

"The most absorbing, most intelligent and most wholly satisfying novel I've read in a good while--certainly since Richard Ford's Pulitzer-winning Independence Day . . . A beautiful and haunting novel of character."--Don Fry, Seattle Times

"In The Deep Midwinter comes along at a time when people have stopped talking about The Great American Novel. That's too bad, because this just might be it."--Kate Tuttle, The Boston Book Review

"Robert Clark . . . has an ear for dialogue that's pitch perfect and an impeccable eye for detail . . . A moving and provocative novel, In the Deep Midwinter marks a fine debut."--Ruth Coughlin, The New York Times Book Review

"Clark unfolds the story's moral dramas with rare assurance and grownup charity . . . In the Deep Midwinter not only shows how love can lead to suffering, but also, more interestingly, points out how suffering can lead to love."--Pico Iyer, Time