Book of the Week: Nightwoods

Nightwoods by Charles Frazier starts with a man from the state appearing at Luce’s door, accompanied by the silent, deeply-damaged twins of her murdered sister, Lily.

Frazier also wrote Cold Mountain.

Reclusive Luce, denizen of a deserted lodge in Western North Carolina, adjusts the rhythm of her life to encompass these children with patience and goodness, ifnot love. Meanwhile, her sister's husband and murderer stalks the woods, convinced these children can lead him to stolen money their mother concealed.

Frazier’s newest tale is set mid-20th century in an Appalachia described so vividly you can feel the ancient dampness and deep mystery of the woods.