In this spellbinder by critically acclaimed author Tim Gautreaux, Sam Simoneaux returns from World War I to rebuild his life. But when a girl is snatched from the New Orleans department store where he's working, he hops aboard a Mississippi steamboat to find her-and dredges up ghosts from his painful past. 'An exceptional novel . fluent prose, accomplished storytelling, and strong characterizations in this paean to the indefatigability of the human spirit.'-Booklist