SPLIT ESTATE

When Laura King jumped to her death from a window in her Upper East Side apartment, she threw the lives of her family into emotional turmoil. Her husband, Arthur, along with son Cam and daughter Celia, returns for the summer and fall to his mother's home in Callendar, Wyoming, in hopes of healing what's left of his family. The novel speaks through the points of view of the survivors, including mother/grandmother Lucy. Kate Reading gives each character a unique voice, getting into his or her head to express the struggle to understand and forgive Laura's seemingly inexplicable act. Reading also breathes life into the setting as battles for mineral and drilling rights threaten the region's ranching tradition. N.E.M. © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine [Published: JUNE 2008]