An extraordinary story of redemption and love. In a small town in the Pacific Northwest, Susan Baker is struggling with the consequences of the death of her husband in a shooting accident, witnessed by her son Jamie, who has withdrawn into introverted silence. When Michael Somers returns to the town where he grew up, provoking resentment and suspicion among the members of the tightknit community, Susan and Jamie are drawn into the middle of a complex drama.
Michael is a solitary figure who has spent time incarcerated for something that happened years ago, but which had its genesis long before that, during his troubled childhood. Shunned by the community, Michael struggles to make sense of his life. When he finds a wounded falcon in the mountains, the injured bird becomes a possible route towards redemption and understanding for both Michael and his neighbour’s son, Jamie. The relationship that develops between man and boy, and also Jamie’s mother, Susan is at the heart of the story. However, it is also the spark that ignites tensions among the townspeople and leads to explosive consequences.
This is a novel about people struggling with their lives and the things that made them who they are. The characters are forced to confront both their strengths and flaws, and to make decisions that determine their futures. Some choose to face their personal demons, but others refuse to recognise their failings, instead compounding their past mistakes, until they threaten to destroy everything around them.