Idaho

Starred review from November 21, 2016
In Ruskovich’s beautifully constructed debut novel, Ann attempts to piece together her husband Wade’s past—namely, the murder of his younger daughter, May, by his ex-wife, Jenny, and the disappearance of his elder daughter, June, which took place years ago, on the mountain where Wade and Ann now live. The book is set in the alluring and haunting landscape of Idaho, spanning over 50 years, and depicting Ann’s obsession and determination to figure out what exactly Jenny’s motives were and just what happened to the girls. Jenny is now in jail, mostly keeping to herself while serving a life sentence, and Ann is caring for Wade while he suffers from genetic early-onset dementia, training dogs, and making knives. All the while, Ann and Wade hope that June may still be alive, after 18 years of no news. With her amazing sentences, Ruskovich draws readers into the novel’s world, using a number of well-developed voices to describe various perspectives, allowing readers to understand the complexities of the story as well as Ann does. Shocking and heartbreaking, Ruskovich has crafted a remarkable love story and a narrative that will stay with readers. Agent: Jin Auh, Wylie Agency.

Narrator Justine Eyre captures listeners from the very first words of Emily Ruskovich's poignant exploration of family, loss, grief, and the intangible quality of memory. Wade's life is upended when a tragedy leaves him with one daughter dead, the second missing, and his ex-wife imprisoned for murder. Wade eventually marries Ann, who works diligently to help Wade cope with the events of the day his life fell apart. Eyre is simply wonderful as she recounts Wade's erratic behavior as he struggles to bring the past into focus. Especially noteworthy is Ruskovich's lyrical prose, which flirts with poetry as she describes the bold western landscape, the slippery images of remembrances and the tiniest natural details. Eyre's performance turns Ruskovich's striking debut novel into much more than a mystery. S.J.H. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award � AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine