LAND THAT MOVES, LAND THAT STANDS STILL

The bleak landscape of South Dakota comes alive in this absorbing novel, the affecting tale of three women at life's crossroads. Mattie Remmel is the protagonist whose life is transformed by tragedy when her husband, Haney, dies in a farming accident. That shock is followed by another when Mattie goes through Haney's letters and discovers his secret life as a gay man. Although she's devastated, Mattie is strong and decides to try to keep the family's alfalfa ranch running with her daughter, Shelley, who has returned home from college, and the help of a mechanically adept handywoman named Dawn whose chaotic past casts a long shadow over ensuing events. The emotional arc of the novel builds slowly, so that Mattie's stoic character is well established by the time she discovers Haney's true sexual orientation, and her stifled, anguished reaction rings true. There's also credibility in Shelley's sudden breakup with her boyfriend and a subsequent affair with her old English teacher, Bryce Adler. The novel gains a piquant edge with the arrival of a reticent teenaged Native American runaway named Elton, who becomes indispensable to other characters' lives and whose loyalty nearly leads to tragedy. Nelson (Language in the Blood) gracefully weaves the plot threads with his earthy writing about farm life on the Western plains. His skill in delineating three different, complex female protagonists is remarkable, and many of his precise, dialogue-driven scenes are little gems. Yet this is not frothy woman's fiction, but an authoritatively controlled tale with mounting suspense and violence that builds like a thunderstorm in the Black Hills. Combining quirky charm and matter of fact detail, the novel is a heartwarming portrait of an unusual kind of contemporary family. (July 28)

Forecast:Booksellers could have a steady seller in Nelson, who writes in the tradition of Kent Haruf and Ivan Doig. 5-city author tour.