Peter could not care less that a brutal ice storm has cut him off from the roads that lead into town. For almost 20 years, the retired musician has isolated himself in a remote cabin on the coast of Maine, filling his long days by tending to his animals and re-creating, in an old dollhouse, the life he used to have with his wife and two small children, who all perished in a fire. When he ventures out of his cabin after the storm, he discovers, to his great shock and dismay, a pregnant woman with a wicked bruise on her right cheek. Elaine is in need of shelter, and Peter reluctantly complies. One night stretches into months, and these two lonely people eventually reveal their tortured secrets. Thayer’s sheep-shearing coastal region is vividly described, and her characters are raw and realistic. Peter–his thoughts and outbursts often tinged with self-deprecation and cynical humor–is no stereotypical gruff hermit. Elaine–with her alabaster beauty and unwavering religion–is no wimp, and theirs is an unexpected romance. Kristin Kloberdanz

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