Harry Eide, at the opening of this novel, is suffering from Alzheimer’s and has wandered off into the cold Northern Minnesota winter, never to be seen again.  To understand his father better, Harry’s son, Gus, recounts to his father’s mistress the brutal winter that they wandered up north almost dying several times during their circuitous journey.  Both the mistress, Berit, and Gus believe that if they describe the past in enough detail they will understand the present.  However; the Eide family, and especially Harry, carry such a load of secrets that is is unlikely that the entire truth will ever be known.

Geye writes and interesting, highly descriptive, tale, although at times I had trouble grasping the Eide family lineage.  A family tree would have been helpful.