Here you know that you are in masterful hands. The language of Ruskovich is itself a comfort, as it subtly raises the unsettling thought that only decency can save us. Ruskovich's novel will remind many readers of Marilynne Robinson's magnificent Idaho novel "Housekeeping." A haunting and beautiful book.

Sensual, exquisitely crafted.

The first thing you should know about Idaho, the stunningly original debut of O. Henry Award winner Emily Ruskovich, is that it turns everything you think you know about stories on its head. You could read Idaho solely for the sheer beauty of the prose, for the masterful way Ruskovich makes everything feel both strange and yet utterly familiar.