This is the story of a Swedish family that inhabits Bear Island, an isolated chunk of land in the middle of a huge lake. Of course, during the winters, it's a desolate and desperate place. This family has a strange pull to that lake and for many of them, that pull spelled their deaths. The main storyline is around Alice, a young woman who is a part of the bloodline of the people of Bear Island, but she has no idea because she was adopted as an infant. And no matter where she goes in New Hampshire, it seems like everyone around her knows more about her story than she does.

This novel was written in a sort of dreamy way. I could feel myself being transported to the towns described. I could feel the missing pieces that Alice always seemed to have by not knowing her true heritage. It was very enjoyable and Maxwell's first published novel. I look forward to more of her work.