All the Things We Leave Behind

Nason’s second novel returns to the same part of small-town New Brunswick where she set her debut, The Town That Drowned, which won the Commonwealth Book Prize. It’s summer 1977, and 17-year-old Violet is holding down the fort at the family antiques business, the Purple Barn, while her parents are away. The barn is about to acquire the haul of a lifetime: the rich Vaughan family, who abandoned their cottage after one of their children drowned there, prepare to sell all of its contents. Officially on a road trip, Violet’s parents are actually looking for places where Violet’s missing older brother, Bliss, might have been seen. After high school graduation he took off, leaving a note that said “Gone exploring.” But Violet is haunted by visions of a white deer in the forest and fears that Bliss set off on a journey that was no ordinary road trip. The story is not innovative in structure, plot, or language. The characters are on the flimsy side, with the teenagers coming across as oddly middle-aged. Nevertheless, it’s a diverting read with a strongly evoked sense of place, and Nason handles grief with sensitivity and poise. Agent: Hilary McMahon, Westwood Creative Artists. (Sept.)