Taking place in 1954 the Catskill Mountains, N.Y. Henry Soames, a fat, gentle, middle-aged man who runs a rural diner, and a young plain girl who drifts into his life, and remains to become part of it. In moving a very human story we see what these people really are to each other; as they move through the rituals of courtship, marriage, and the birth of a child, loss of innocence, confession, atonement, forgiveness, and the acceptance of death. A darkness fades in and out of their story; as Henry Soames' bad heart ticks quietly like a time bomb; dangerous people come to Henry's diner; and the darkness is defeated again and again by courage, love, and ritual. The darkness lies in wait, but is robbed of its triump by the man who has confronted the evil in his heart and, supported by other people's love, has tamed it. Tan cloth boards and spine, blind stamped illustration to front board, gilt title to spine. DW not price clipped, brown illustration of tree, creme title panels. Mild sunning to spine. Tiny chips to spine ends, nic to lower edge front, corners chipped. 5 inch closed tear to rear lower dw and flap edge (clean, not ragged). In protective brodart mylar. Clean text, tightly bound. tall 8 vo., 314 pp. First Edition, stated. First State, (bright orange title page, last pg. of text to verso of plate).

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