This is a wonderfully written book that makes full use of its West Texas locale and the imagery that this induces such as the never ending space and the way this almost swallows the individuals making them unimportant. This is certainly the case with Oliver Loving and his family who have lived in the town of Bliss for generations. That is until the night of the Homecoming Dance when four people are killed and Oliver severely injured at the local school. How both Oliver and his family survive these events and move on from these events is the focus of the book.