Pipers at the Gates of Dawn

In this absorbing triptych of novellas, Stegner dissects with taut prose and decisive narrative moves the complex emotional states of characters living in a hamlet in Vermont called Harrow. A transient named Sam Chase is present in all three stories, which are also lashed together thematically, each exploring, from different perspectives and with pithy nostalgia, growing up, growing older, and the loss that comes with life's vicissitudes. In ""The Hired Man,"" Ray Rinaldi is on the cusp of adulthood, struggling with the emotions of a teenager at the same time he must manage his family's farm. With searching dialogue and description, Stegner lays bare the poignancy of a family trying to survive as the father sinks deeper into alcoholism. Desperately in need of another farmhand, Ray is forced to employ Sam Chase, but just as things seem to be settling down, tragedy strikes. As spring turns to summer in the title piece, Dru Hammond, an accomplished violinist stuck in a monotonous marriage, wrestles with tough questions about her place in life. Lyrical prose illuminates the complex evolutions of marriage and infidelity, while further portraying the fascinating Sam Chase, who woos women with sinister ease. The final panel of the triptych takes place in autumn, when young Kimball Dodge, on his way to begin his freshman year at Dartmouth, visits his Uncle Jack, who has cancer. Jack tells the long story of his life, which collects diverse thematic threads that reach back to the first tale. He reveals a terrible secret involving Sam Chase, who by this point has become a symbol of expedient amorality. Stegner's (Fata Morgana and Undertow) storytelling skills are impressive. These expressively written tales maintain their momentum even as Stegner commands the reader's attention to look at fog over a lake or ice cream melting into homemade apple pie. (Aug.)