The Fault Between Us
Young sisters Claire, Bridget and Frannie grow up in a traditional family structure in Minnesota. Suddenly and without explanation, in 1942 Mom leaves her husband, Dan, and their three daughters. Frannie was born just months before Mom left; Bridget is six, and Claire a couple of years older. From that day on, Dan forbids the family to talk or pine about Mom.
The story then jumps ahead to the summer of 1959 at Yellowstone Park. A few years before, Claire had found a summer job there and, not long after, a husband, handsome cowboy Red Wilder. From Claire’s letters, Bridget and Dan sense all is not well in Yellowstone. Dan has never trusted Red and even refused to walk Claire down the aisle at their wedding. Bridget, a nurse, lands a summer nurse job near Yellowstone to size up Claire’s life with Red and their new baby, Jenny. Rebellious Frannie, now eighteen, goes along with Bridget. The actual 1959 Yellowstone Hebgen Lake earthquakes, landslides, and floods crash down on the three Reilly sisters, Red, and Jenny. Dan jumps on a train to try to find his daughters.
Landsem organizes the novel with a prologue, 69 short chapters, and an epilogue, each chapter headed with the name of its main character. This structure helps readers follow intense misunderstandings among the Reilly family, Red, and others. Readers can easily think and scheme along with each main character, gasp at their mistakes, and cheer their victories. Riveting details from Claire’s run-down house and rickety truck to summer traffic jams, foolish tourists hand-feeding wild bears, sulfur stench, and unleashed nature all feel very real. Recommended as both an engaging saga of family strife and a vivid portrayal of Lake Hebgen’s disaster.
