National Bestseller An Absolutely Unforgettable Novel.—ian Williams A Masterwork From One Of The Country’s Most Critically Acclaimed And Beloved Writers That Grapples With Male Violence, Sexual Abuse, And Madness. Complusively Readable And Heartstopping. Wade Jackson, A Young Man From A Newfoundland Outport, Wants To Be A Writer. In The University Library In St. John’s, Where He Goes Every Day To Absorb The Great Books Of The World, He En­counters The Fascinating, South African-born Rachel Van Hout, And Soon They Are Lovers. Rachel Is The Youngest Of Four Van Hout Daugh­ters, Each In Their Own Way A Wounded Soul. The Old­est, Gloria, Has A String Of Broken Marriages Behind Her. Carmen Is Addicted To Every Drug Her Afrikaner Dealer Husband Can Lay His Hands On. Betha­ny, The Most Sardonic Of The Sisters, Is Fighting A Los­ing Battle With Anorexia. And Then There Is Rachel, Who Reads The Diary Of Anne Frank Obsessively, And Diarizes Her Days In A Secret Language Of Her Own Invention, Writing To The Point Of Breakdown And Beyond—an Obsession That Has Deeper And More Dis­turbing Roots Than Wade Could Ever Have Imagined. Confronting The Central Mystery Of His Character Rachel’s Life—and His Own—wayne Johnston Has Created A Brilliant And Searing Tour De Force That Pulls The Reader Toward A Conclusion Both Inevitable And Impossible To Fore­see.