Pearl Dickerson arrives in tiny Nodd's Ridge, Maine, to claim an inheritance and lead a quiet life. But soon, exotic Pearl threatens the fabric of everyday life in Nodd's Ridge . . . as she becomes involved with two attractive, very different men, whose seething rivalry explodes into violence. This gripping, finely crafted novel illuminates the depths and desires of an independent woman and exposes dark truths about life in a small town. HC: NAL.