A Spell on the Water

"This novel held me rapt. I couldn't put it down, couldn't wait to finish--some stories should be like this--like life. I am so impressed with Cole's craft, her wisdom, the way she can hold whole worlds of relationship and conflict in the palm of her hand as a writer." --Barbara Kingsolver Praise for Correcting the Landscape ". . . her writing is simple, vivid and gorgeous." -- Eugene Register-Guard ". . . ushers in a remarkable new talent. Critics have lined up to praise this book." -- Tucson Citizen "Cole's style is subtle but engrossing . . . It is quite a debut." -- Booklist In 1955, Mary and Jim Leader have the American dream: careers in medicine; a young and healthy family; and even a vacation home--a shabby resort far from hustling Chicago. But one hot afternoon changes everything. Mary, now a widow, must find a path out of her grief into a future for herself and five small children. In Michigan to sell the resort, Mary sees seven hawks riding out the storm winds over the lake. This place, she thinks, can heal them with its wild beauty, so she moves her family to the northern lakeshore. But Mary has forgotten what it's like to live in a tiny rural community, where almost everyone has a stake in maintaining the status quo. Secrets are kept at great cost as Mary's children often struggle to raise themselves. A coming-of-age story for each member of the family, this is a novel of quiet heroism and the power of personal freedom.