Helpful Score: 1
This slim, powerful novel is set on a remote Maine island where Bostonian Charlie Ives and his father have fetched up when their motorboat engine fails. Old Vern Filson welcomes the two into his cabin, where he anticipates the arrival of his sons and daughter. Readers are privy to the thoughts of both father and son as they mull over what seems to be a crucial rift between Charlie's father and mother. But here in this cabin, the two discover a peace and calm that has been missing from their lives. The simple task of making his father a bootjack to celebrate the solstice brings Charlie a surprising joy and later becomes proof that they have truly shared an experience in some real time. For when Charlie and his father row back to town the next morning, they discover that old Vern died over half a century ago, as did his family. Adkins carefully refrains from overplaying his hand, but alert readers may detect that this is a time-slip fantasy from small clues.
