NATIONAL BESTSELLER - 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.
It takes a writer of rare power and discipline to carry off an
achievement like A Map of the World. Hamilton proves here that she is
one of the best. --Newsweek
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 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.
