Country People

by Daniel Mason

Country People follows Miles Krzelewski, a 45-year-old father and husband who feels like a failure in his academic career, having left his PhD on Russian folktales unfinished for over a decade. When his wife, Kate, accepts a visiting professorship in Vermont, the family relocates from California to a new life in the forest. While Miles initially hopes the move will provide the time and space to complete his research, he becomes increasingly drawn into the town's eccentric characters and mysterious local legends. As he investigates a bizarre myth, the boundary between his academic study of folklore and the reality of his new environment begins to blur. The novel is a witty, uplifting exploration of marriage, parenthood, belief, and the power of the stories we tell.