By Ann-Marie MacDonald. Perhaps the darkest of the dark books I read over the summer (others were She’s Come Undone, I Know This Much is True - both by Wally Lamb, The Haunting of L by Howard Norman, and The Geographer’s Library by Jon Fasman.)

At the beginning of the summer I did not say, Well, let’s see how utterly down I can get just through the power of fiction. I went to a library sale or two instead of being guided by shelf placement or book lists. Were these in a bin diabolically arranged by a sadistic librarian?

About halfway through the book, I summarized the plot to a family member, who wondered why I would want to continue if it was bothering me so much. Due to the brilliance of the writing and a mesmerizing cast of characters, I was unable to stop. Their fates will take your breath away. And of course, when it ended, I was bereft.