I loved The Piano Tuner, Daniel Mason's first novel, and although this story, A Far Country, moves more slowly, I was not disappointed because like The Piano Tuner it casts a spell with very beautiful language and a palpable sense of place .

Fourteen-year-old Isobel lives with her family on a cane plantation in an unnamed country where drought is destroying the crops. Her beloved older brother, with whom she has a mystical connection, dreams of being a musician and leaves for the city. Eventually the threat of starvation forces Isobel's parents to send her to the city to live with a cousin and babysit her infant son. Isobel feels her bother's presence in the city, and with a baby on her hip and love and faith for fuel, she searches for him throughout the confusing and corrupt city.

Once again, Mason has written a lyrical novel that satisfies both your mind and senses. ~ Anne