John Reed first appears to Rita in one of her dreams. When they meet at a town gathering a few days later, she immediately offers him a haircut, and her heart. As they share their stories, Rita senses she can help John fill a void by reconnecting him to his only family-a young niece he nearly lost in a heartbreaking tragedy. While inspiring John on a journey out of loneliness and into reconciliation, Rita begins to come to terms with events in her past . . . and discovers things about herself she never realized, including her own intimate role in John's unfolding story.
"A thoroughly captivating book: warm and wise and beautifully written."
-RICHARD RUSSO
Author of Straight Man
"[AN] ACCOMPLISHED NEW NOVEL . . . Wood's command of voice holds a reader all the way through to the last page, where . . . she holds up a mirror and encourages us to recognize ourselves."
-San Francisco Chronicle
"ONE OF THE BEST NOVELS I'VE READ IN THE PAST YEAR . . . A slender book that unfolds as gracefully as the petals of a rose . . . A small gem to be read, reread, and, yes, treasured."
-The Roanoke Times