Exploring the spectrum of responses felt by the inhabitants of a small Adirondack town in the wake of a tragic school bus accident, "The Sweet Hereafter" is a compelling morality tale that wrestles with the timeless questions of life, responsibility and human hope.
Russell Banks has received numerous awards, including the O. Henry Award and the Literature Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. He lives in upstate New York and Princeton, NJ."Banks poses many questions, and his canvas is far larger than any thumbnail sketch of its components can suggest." "--San Francisco Chronicle"
"Without sentimentalizing them in the least, Banks has extended the themes explored in his previous novels . . . to show that wiser, possibly even better people can emerge from the ordeal: that some old American decencies still prevail, against all odds." "--Chicago Tribune"
"Russell Banks is a writer of extraordinary power."--Gail Caldwell, "Boston Globe"