When the Road Comes Around

Powner (Where the Blue Sky Begins) unfolds a complex and resonant tale of redemption and forgiveness. Twenty-four-year-old Tad Bungley has blown every job he’s had in the past five years, but he’s committed to making a go of his new gig on Anita and Dan Wilson’s ranch. When an ex-girlfriend drops off a three-month-old daughter he didn’t know about, Tad’s more determined than ever to keep the job, but he still manages to attract trouble—especially since dangerous incidents keep befalling Sam, the Wilsons’ intellectually disabled adult son whom Tad is meant to be caring for. Scarred by his acrimonious relationship with his alcoholic father, Tad is grateful for the Wilsons’ forgiveness, especially after accidentally letting Sam get drunk on his watch. But as tensions rise on the ranch, thanks in part to a secret scheme taking shape in one of the Wilsons’ sheds, the characters must lean on their faith in God to survive and see the good in one another. Powner vividly conveys her characters’ moral complexities—even Tad’s father has his moments—though a few threads are left dangling at the novel’s end. The result is a stirring testament to the power of hope in dark times. (Aug.)