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Growing up on an Indigenous reservation in Maine, Elizabeth thinks the man raising her is her biological father. She has no idea that her real biological dad is Charles, the white man who lives within view of her home across the river. But Charles knows about her, and he hasn’t gone a single day without thinking of her since she was born. He’s watched her from afar but he’s stayed out of her life due to her mother’s wishes, even though it breaks his heart. But when his observations lead him to sense that something has gone deeply wrong in Elizabeth’s life, he’s conflicted about whether to reach out and tell her the truth. What’s the best way to care for someone who doesn’t know you exist?

This book was beautiful and heartbreaking and I was absolutely riveted. The characters felt so real and their motivations were easily understandable even when they made the wrong choices. It’s one of those books that gives you the transcendent sense that we’re all just fumbling through life together, doing our best. I read the author’s short story collection a while back and wasn’t blown away by it, so I’m so glad I decided to give this one a chance. Morgan Talty absolutely hit it out of the park with this novel.