Once again Kreuger has given us a beautiful novel and an in-depth character study about the town, the setting, and the people. It is about life in a small town and the diverse characters who live there, all with their own secrets and baggage and yet with a strong will to survive and be happy with who they are and what they now have. It shows us the true hardships of life, and the prejudices that existed in 1958 in a small farming community in southern Minnesota. It is sad and sometimes tough to read but it also shows us the beauty in human beings and what each will do to protect those they love and to right past wrongs.