His life's work and ambition fulfilled, Francis Brimm believes the only metamorphosis left him is a slow, affable decline toward death. So he returns to the town of his youth and to his sister, Muriel, whose life has been as uneventful as Francis's has been exciting.But life is not about to let Francis go. Faces from the past haunt him, surprises in the present unsettle him. And suddenly, two people who thought their lives were over find themselves struggling not to be overwhelmed by new knowledge, hidden truths, and unexpected danger.... and "Like Anne Tyler, Mr. McFarland knows how to make time the warp and weft of a novel, and much of the pleasure of reading comes from shuttling about through the decades of a life. and " - The New York Times Book ReviewAn accomplished novel...The language soars. and " - The New York TimesA NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOK and "POWERFUL...THE STORY IS MAGIC. and " - The Wall Street Journal