In the Fall

A bold and epic novel chronicling the dark secrets and forbidden, transcendent loves of an American family across three generations.

In the twilight of the Civil War, a Union soldier meets a runaway slave and returns with her to his family homestead in Vermont, launching the story of a bold, interracial union and its consequences. This passionate couple and their descendents will grapple with the ongoing devastations of the war, racism, and a haunting family legacy that lie dormant until a grandson is driven to discover the secret of his ancestors. Spanning the post–Civil War era to the edge of the Great Depression, In the Fall is an incredible rendering of a rapidly evolving America—from life on a farm, through the final years of Prohibition and bootlegging in the resort towns of New Hampshire, to the advent of modern times. “Expansive, richly detailed and expertly plotted” (Publishers Weekly), Jeffrey Lent’s debut novel is a fierce and utterly compelling vision of an American landscape and history, and an unforgettable portrait of an American family.

“Jeffrey Lent has quietly created some of the finest novels of our new century.” —Ron Rash

“Jeffrey Lent builds characters and their world like a painter layering his canvas, telling his story but substantiating it with color and light.” —Tim Pears

“Sentence by sentence . . . Lent’s language draws you in like a clear stream in summer.” —Tim Gautreaux