Moon of the Crusted Snow

In a remote area of Canada, a small community becomes cut off from the outside world when phone, television, and computer connections fail. At first, residents assume the problem is a glitch that can be fixed. As time goes on, they discover that what is happening is part of a much bigger and much more serious problem. Dread sets in, tension grows, and the situation turns deadly when a stranger comes to town.

This is a simple story simply told, and I mean that as a sincere compliment. Many authors intrude on their work, calling attention to themselves through clever but distracting dialogue and passages, never letting readers forget that there is someone other than the characters who is calling the shots. Waubgeshig Rice hasn't fallen into that trap. I felt as if he put his heart into this story and then stood back and allowed the story to shine on its own. I think that's why I was so moved by the book: everything about it seemed solid and terrifyingly real.