ALL THE WINTERS THAT HAVE BEEN

by Evan Maxwell ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 26, 1995

A Bridges of Madison County knockoff, from a former journalist who has co-written mysteries (Murder Hurts, 1993, etc.) with his wife under the name A.E. Maxwell. Ruggedly handsome Dane Corvin, veteran Fish and Wildlife Service agent, uses his leave to visit the Pacific Northwest, where his beloved uncle Dewey is dying. Dane reminisces about his last sustained trip to the region 20 years ago, when he was working undercover, investigating fish poaching in a neighboring Indian community. He'd been out to get the goods on a tough guy named Waldo when he met the guy's little sister, Helen, who announced on laying eyes on him: ""He is Wolf. I am Raven."" Despite the deceptiveness of his ties to Waldo's community, Dane was truly smitten and allowed Helen to seduce him: ""There was only the moment, and they lived in it as fully as any two people ever had."" A week later, Dane busted Waldo, and Helen wouldn't speak to him again. Dane spent the subsequent decades allergic to women, but now he's learned that Helen is a widow, a successful sculptor who's just sent her son off to Harvard; naturally, he looks her up and feels the old stirrings. She's initially frosty, because she's afraid he'll guess that he's the father of her beloved son. But then they share various forms of wholesome outdoorsy bonding -- chopping wood, giving each other chaste massages, cooking up hearty soups and multigrain breads. The requisite night of passion follows, with the predictable aftermath of confessions, anger, and, finally, forgiveness. Soft-focus themes -- of decades-deferred sexual attraction, family as an antidote to mortality, and save-the-wolves eco-correctness -- for the crowd who like their novels short, clich‚-ridden, and bargain-basement poignant.

Pub Date: April 26, 1995

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: 192

Publisher: HarperCollins

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 1995

Categories: FICTION