Five Skies

Starred review from March 5, 2007
Two stoics and a teenage misanthrope are brought together in Idaho's Rocky Mountains to build a ramp to nowhere in Carlson's first novel in 25 years, a tour de force of grief, atonement and the cost of loyalty. Darwin Gallegos, spiritually bereft after the sudden death of his wife, is hired for one last job at Rio Difficulto, the sprawling ranch where he had lived and worked for years. The job: construct a motorcycle ramp that will launch a daredevil across a gorge (the event is to be taped and bring in a pile of money). Darwin hires for the job drifters Arthur Key, a large and quiet man hiding from his recent past, and Ronnie Panelli, a wiry teenager on the lam from minor criminal mischief. As the men work from late spring through summer, their wounds come slowly to light: the seething fury that took root in Darwin after his wife died; Arthur's career as the go-to Hollywood stunt engineer that he abandoned after betraying his guileless brother; and Ronnie's short lifetime of failure, atoned for as he learns the carpentry trade. Carlson writes with uncommon precision, and this return to long-form fiction after four well-received story collections is stunning.

Starred review from April 15, 2007
In Carlson's first novel in 30 years, following several excellent story collections (e.g., "At the Jim Bridger"), three psychically wounded men find themselves building a stunt ramp together at the edge of an Idaho gorge. Foreman Darwin Gallegos is angry at the universe after the death of his wife in a plane crash and is unable to return to the ranch where they lived. Arthur Key, the owner of a company that constructs Hollywood special effects, feels responsible for his brother's death and is unable to forgive himself both for getting him work as a stuntman and for secretly betraying his trust. Ronnie Panelli is a youthful Chicago thief who has disappointed everyone close to him. Through the solitude of a spring and summer spent outdoors and the simple joys of cooperative work done well, each gradually reveals himself and ultimately finds a measure of self-forgiveness and renewal. This is a simply told, quietly moving tale yet one that, in its use of time, nature, and the seasonal round, carries an archetypal resonance. Recommended for all public libraries. [See Prepub Alert, "LJ" 1/07.]Lawrence Rungren, Merrimack Valley Lib. Consortium, Andover, MA

Copyright 2007 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from April 1, 2007
Three men, all emotionally damaged in different ways, come together at the edge of a remote chasm in Idaho. Their task is to construct a ramp from which a motorcyclist will launch herself, la Evel Knievel. Two are naturally taciturn, and their personal pains make them almost mute. The third is a callow 19-year-old; all three are seeking a refuge from their anguish. The summer-long project of building the ramp, healing themselves, and helping the young man mature, is the subject of this fine and moving tale. Neither ranch foreman Darwin nor engineer and contractor Arthur Key is the kind of man who can articulate feelings, and young Ronnie Panelli simply doesnt yet understand his feelings. As a result, their dialogue often glances off what is really gnawing at them, and the effect is initially disconcerting but ultimately affecting. Additionally, the barren high desert and the weather it spawns are so beautifully rendered that it can be seen as a fourth important character. Carlson, critically acclaimed for his short stories, has written a note-perfect novel that will challenge and reward all who care about literary fiction.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2007, American Library Association.)