In the Fall

This "richly detailed and expertly plotted" historical epic chronicles the dark secrets and forbidden loves of an American family across three generations (Publishers Weekly, starred review).

In the twilight of the Civil War, a Union soldier meets a runaway slave and returns with her to his family homestead in Vermont, launching the story of a bold, interracial union and its myriad consequences. This passionate couple and their descendants will grapple with the ongoing devastations of the war, racism, and a haunting family legacy that lies dormant until a grandson is driven to discover the secret of his ancestors.

Spanning the post–Civil War era to the edge of the Great Depression, In the Fall is an expansive saga of a rapidly evolving America—from life on a farm, through the final years of Prohibition and bootlegging in the resort towns of New Hampshire, to the advent of modern times. "Remarkable for its grace, felicity and precision," Jeffrey Lent's debut novel is an utterly compelling vision of America, and an unforgettable portrait of an American family (Publishers Weekly, starred review).

"Jeffrey Lent has quietly created some of the finest novels of our new century." —Ron Rash

"Jeffrey Lent builds characters and their world like a painter layering his canvas, telling his story but substantiating it with color and light." —Tim Pears

"Sentence by sentence . . . Lent's language draws you in like a clear stream in summer." —Tim Gautreaux

© 2007 Atlantic Monthly Press (Ebook): 9780802196514

Release date

Ebook: 1 December 2007