This was quite a read. McCammon takes a so-real-it-hurts story set in 1930 Louisiana and subtly adds his own touches to it, a touch of magic, of otherworldliness. This element could easily overpower another story, make it solely supernatural, or even derail a serious plotline. But McCammon's book isn't really a book about psychics, or "listening" or anything so supernaturally mundane. At it's core, this book is about people, and about the best and the worst that they can be.