Book Description
From the author of the widely acclaimed The Book of Ruth
comes a harrowing, heartbreaking drama about a rural American
family and a disastrous event that forever changes their
lives.
The Goodwins, Howard, Alice, and their little girls, Emma
and Claire, live on a dairy farm in Wisconsin. Although
suspiciously regarded by their neighbors as "that hippie
couple" because of their well-educated, urban
background, Howard and Alice believe they have found a source
of emotional strength in the farm, he tending the barn while
Alice works as a nurse in the local elementary school.
But their peaceful life is shattered one day when a
neighbor's two-year-old daughter drowns in the Goodwins' pond
while under Alice's care. Tormented by the accident, Alice
descends even further into darkness when she is accused of
sexually abusing of a student at the elementary school. Soon,
Alice is arrested, incarcerated, and as good as convicted in
the eyes of a suspicious community. As a child, Alice
designed her own map of the world to find her bearings. Now,
as an adult, she must find her way again, through a maze of
lies, doubt and ill will.
A vivid human drama of guilt and betrayal, A Map of
the World chronicles the intricate geographies of the
human heart and all its mysterious, uncharted terrain. The
result is a piercing drama about family bonds and a
disappearing rural American life.
