Because Alice & Howard Goodwin run a small dairy farm in the midst of encroaching suburbia, & because their whimsical ways betray their city origins, they are shunned as 'that hippie couple', outsiders in the small Midwestern town of Prairie Center. Nevertheless, they feel that they & their two daughters are living in a self-made paradise.
But Alice has always believed that all it would take to fall from grace is 'one stupendous error, or else an unfortunate accident'. & one morning, while Alice is babysitting her neighbour's children, a tragic accident does occur on the farm. This sets into motion a devastating & irrevocable string of events that will change the Goodwins' lives for ever as they find themselves trapped in a nightmare from which they cannot escape.
A Map of the World is a harrowing tale of guilt, betrayal & the loss of innocence. Spellbinding, lyrical, & universal in its themes, this powerful, emotional page-turner shows that Jane Hamilton is a writer of exceptional talent.