Heart Spring Mountain

Following her splendid 2016 short story collection, Half Wild (an Indies Introduce selection), Robin MacArthur's first novel revisits rural Vermont and uses a mixture of lyrical and earthy prose to explore three generations of a family riddled by secrets and burdens of the past. This area of the country, previously overlooked by literature, proves to be rich ground that, while isolated, cannot avoid intrusions from the outside world in the form of man-made and natural disasters. The focus is on an extended family that can trace its roots back to Puritan ancestors but struggles against poverty, the unforgiving environment, and the lure of drugs. Heart Spring Mountain will introduce you to a host of memorable characters engaged in human folly and saved by redemptive love.

Reminiscent of the writing style of Jesmyn Ward, Robin MacArthur’s story draws the reader into rural Vermont and the secrets of multi-generational families. Following the devastation of Hurricane Irene, a family is faced with loss, addiction, and poverty. A drug-addicted mother, after shooting up, ventures out into the raging storm and disappears. Her daughter’s search for her and her family’s heritage brings sadness and understanding.