[…] a profound and unforgettable new novel set in a small corner of the deep South where, over the course of one day, the lives of a group of men and women may be changed forever. It begins with a murder: in the compound of a backwoods Louisiana plantation Beau Boutan, a Cajun farmer, is found shot. […] Ernest Gaines brings to this story the same rich sense of place, the same understanding humor, and the same compassion for a people and their struggle that have informed his previous, widely acclaimed novels.