Five Skies

Starred review from March 5, 2007
Two stoics and a teenage misanthrope are brought together in Idaho's Rocky Mountains to build a ramp to nowhere in Carlson's first novel in 25 years, a tour de force of grief, atonement and the cost of loyalty. Darwin Gallegos, spiritually bereft after the sudden death of his wife, is hired for one last job at Rio Difficulto, the sprawling ranch where he had lived and worked for years. The job: construct a motorcycle ramp that will launch a daredevil across a gorge (the event is to be taped and bring in a pile of money). Darwin hires for the job drifters Arthur Key, a large and quiet man hiding from his recent past, and Ronnie Panelli, a wiry teenager on the lam from minor criminal mischief. As the men work from late spring through summer, their wounds come slowly to light: the seething fury that took root in Darwin after his wife died; Arthur's career as the go-to Hollywood stunt engineer that he abandoned after betraying his guileless brother; and Ronnie's short lifetime of failure, atoned for as he learns the carpentry trade. Carlson writes with uncommon precision, and this return to long-form fiction after four well-received story collections is stunning.

Ron Carlson returns with a story that starts slowly but grows on listeners as he relates the adventures of three men who are dealing with inner demons, job accidents, and trouble from local toughs as they construct the ramp for a motorcycle stunt in Idaho. Carlson reads his own novel with an understated style that gradually draws listeners in. As both a writer and a narrator, he lingers on small details to create a sense of place and a strong atmosphere. He also leaves listeners feeling that they've gotten to know three unique human beings and their lives. J.A.S. (c) AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine