Melody Murray's Books

An extraordinary book. Most of her books have had what felt to me to be a large remove from the emotions and inner lives of her characters. This issue is present here, but to a lesser extent, and because of who the characters are, it works.The writing is luminous. The pace is slow, measured, and deliberate. The starkness of life in Oregon's ranching country in the teens is brought into sharp focus by the steady, unflinching prose. There's a breathtaking passage where a small family confronts the father's untimely and agonizing death that undid me completely.The central character is utterly believable, completely human and fully-fleshed. The minor characters are precisely drawn and as real as my own neighbors. The ending is neat but not tidy.Recommended.