Faraway Places

The ``finely wrought'' work concerns an adolescent who witnesses a murder and is compelled, by his father, to keep silent. Balancing the hero's sensitivity against the harsh reality of farm life in the 1950s, ``Spanbauer tells his short, brutal story with delicacy and deep respect for place and character. Forceful and moving, this novel is a promising debut,'' praised PW. (July)