A Spell on the Water — Marjorie Kowalski Cole

"I couldn't put it down."
---Barbara Kingsolver

In 1955, Mary and Jim Leader have the American dream: careers in medicine; a young and healthy family; and even a vacation home---a shabby resort far from bustling Chicago. But one hot afternoon changes everything. Mary, now a widow, must find a path out of her grief into a future for herself and five small children.

In Michigan to sell the resort, Mary sees seven hawks ridingthe storm winds over the lake. This place, she thinks, can heal them with its wild beauty, so she moves her family to the northern lakeshore.

But Mary has forgotten what it's like to live in a tiny rural community, where almost everyone has a stake in maintaining the status quo. Secrets are kept at great cost as Mary's children often struggle to raise themselves. A coming-of-age story for each member of the family, this is a novel of quiet heroism and the power of personal freedom.

Praise for Marjorie Kowalski Cole and her previous novel, "Correcting the Landscape"

." . . her writing is simple, vivid and gorgeous."
---"Eugene Register-Guard"

." . . a remarkable new talent. Critics have lined up to praise the book."
---"Tucson Citizen"

"Cole's style is subtle but engrossing . . . It is quite a debut."
---"Booklist"

Cover illustration: (c)iStockphoto.com/ImagineGolf"