This is, without a doubt, one of the best books which I have read. Fridlund has this beautifully ethereal tone of writing, one which skims across the surface of the Minnesotan lake, the empty branches of the woodland and Linda's own straw bed. This is the sort of book which needs to be read slowly, with intense appreciation of each image. Fridlund's similes are small revelations, accurate but, with the jarring comparisons, also slightly disconcerting, only enhancing the mist which surrounds Paul, the boy who lives in the house across the lake with his mother Patra. With narrative jumps in time, both reflective and current, a reader can see the intense impact which this family had on Linda (14/15), something which is both comforting but disturbing at the same time. A reader wonders why...

This should be a part of any list of Books to Read before your Die. I urge you to pick up a copy and trudge with Linda through the ice and snow of Minnesota.