Come Away from Her

This touching novel from Gailey (The Guilt We Carry) eloquently conveys the melancholy and repressed emotions of the citizens of Walnut Creek, Pa., through their responses to the arrival in their midst of Tess, a mysterious deaf woman. Cap, the town’s middle-aged, heavy-drinking pastor rescues Tess, pulling her to safety just minutes before her car tumbles into a ravine. He offers her shelter in his home while her car is repaired. When he asks where she’s from, she writes “nowhere” on the pad she uses to communicate. Tess is soon the talk of the town, igniting an explosion of scandalous gossip and throwing the delicate equilibrium of the townsfolk off kilter. Distinctive, well-realized characters include Maggie, a woman who’s coming to realize that “what she thought was truth had only been lies”; Wade, Maggie’s philandering husband; Cap, who’s facing a crisis of faith; and the frightened, enigmatic Tess. Eventually, someone is murdered. Though the book is billed as suspense, it has no criminal investigation, no clues to follow, and no sense of menace. This tale of the inner turmoil of sad people who feel trapped in their lives will resonate more with mainstream fiction readers. (Jan.)