«Warning: Once you begin to read this book, you will not want to finish it. James Michener’s latest work is so absorbing you simply will not want this story to end.» THE CHARLESTON NEWS & COURIER

In this riveting new novel, James A. Michener, America’s preeminent bestselling author, plunges us into the exciting world he knows so well: the world of books. Here is the fascinating story of a writer, editor, critic, and reader locked in a desperate scenario of life, death, love, and truth.

Lukas Yoder, a novelist who has had a long, successful career, has written what he believes to be his final book- until tragedy strikes his community and he becomes obsessed with writing about it…. Yoder’s editor must fight to preserve her integrity-and her author-as her firm becomes the target of a corporate takeover….A critic who teaches literature near Yoder’s hometown struggles with his feelings about Yoder’s success, and his own ambitions….And finally, a devoted reader helps Yoder solve the mystery that is destroying their community.

«Michener explores some of the deepest issues raised by narrative literature…. [The] characters are rounded people, each of whom undergoes a crisis that lends dramatic shape to the section he or she dominates» THE NEW YORK TIMES