S. M. Hulse

A story of loss, in so many senses of the word, and the possibility of connection. Wesley, a former corrections officer and former fiddle player, watches his wife die of leukemia, and tries to connect with his stepson, all the while dealing with the trauma of a prison riot and the prospect of parole for the man responsible. Not a spoiler - you can learn this in the first chapter or two. But oh, how it plays out, how Hulse builds each character and the rhythm of small town Montana, gives us such close access to Wesley and others. A stellar, intimate story. Not to be missed.… (mere)

fiction (modern western / human drama). I've summed this up as "men who don't talk about stuff trying to cope with modern problems" but it doesn't really do justice to the depth and richness of the writing and characters.

I think I maybe heard S.M. Hulse was about to come out with a new book (and I'd checked this one out because the reviewer had pointed out how good her first book was), but I don't see anything forthcoming right now, so perhaps I am misremembering. In any case, she is an author to look out for.… (mere)