“One of the most intensely written and beautifully conceived novels to come my way in many a season. I will be thinking about these characters for a long, long time. Seldom have I read a story with so much life on every page. Zacharias is a master.”

—Steve Yarbrough, author of The Unmade World

“Lee Zacharias is one of those profoundly rare writers, a natural. Her voice is one you can trust, and her characters are real, moving, and come from the experience of someone who knows what trouble human beings get themselves into.”

—Craig Nova, author of The Good Son

“An astonishing novel of high intelligence and moral rigor. Lee Zacharias is a master storyteller, building piece by piece, as the protagonist, Fern, moves with her father across the frozen lake and inward as an old woman to the deep and silent secret of her life, held like a bewitched jewel at the bottom of the lake. Setting deeply realized characters against the textured history of the lake, the ferry ship, and the culture of shipmen, Zacharias builds her tale toward its heart-breaking revelation. Like Harper Lee and Marilynne Robinson, Zacharias reminds us of the lasting power of childhood. “

—Elaine Neil Orr, author of Swimming Between Worlds