A psychological thriller about a forty-something couple, struggling in the wake of the wife's recent mugging, who embark on a road trip that goes badly awry.
Their history together, and Maggie’s assault, are revealed in smooth flashback; with equal aplomb, Pittard shifts between Mark’s perspective and Maggie’s as the book, and their trip, unspool ... Pittard proves herself a master of ordinary suspense ... Pittard creates the feeling of emotional truth.
...captivating...you won't put this story down ... Pittard brilliantly explores the couple’s reliance on each other, the mingled joy, mystery and sadness of their marriage ... Pittard deserves the attention of anyone in search of today’s best fiction.
At its best, Pittard's fast-moving story recalls a legion of American writers from Hawthorne to McCarthy, each chronicling existential encounters framed by the wilderness and exposing the heart of darkness ... But her tight plot proves too intent on making the next bend in the road to pay sufficient attention to the menacing terrain being traversed ... What could have been riveting drama about one of those frightening forks in life's road gets hijacked instead by melodrama — or, worse, confirmation of one's nagging suspicion that most of this couple's preceding problems are contrived and unreal.
