“This is a novel of four stories, told in eight chapters. The characters are from different times and places, yet they share a past with torment and loss. Krauss (The History of Love) unites the characters with a huge writing desk that passes from one person to another, linking events in the lives of these characters. I love Krauss’s use of language and found myself rereading sentences again for the sheer pleasure of their beauty.”— Kelly, Eagle Harbor Book Company, Bainbridge Island, WA