This novel is that and melancholy. It opens up in Washington State. Officer Côté discovers Vera Gusey’s abandoned vehicle beside a frozen lake.
Vera had called to inform the station of a boy who was lost. Before she finished the call, she was cut off, and now she had mysteriously disappeared.
The story is artful and filled with tension. It follows the father of the boy and Vera, and the pieced revelation of the mystery is tragically grim.
Celona explores Vera’s fate and the effect it had on all the characters. It focuses on abstract problems such as the duty to those who have died versus the loyalty that weighs for those who are alive. It explores the deafening ache of loneliness and grief, all the while leaving haunting questions and deep thoughts to ponder upon.