THINGS I DIDN'T DO

A moving coming-of-age story makes the most of its harshly beautiful setting.

Tourists by the millions visit Utah for its breathtaking landscapes, but this novel focuses on families that have lived in the eastern part of the state for generations amid both the beauty and the hardships. Its protagonist is Ryder Mikkelson, 7 years old when we meet him. He’s the only child (a rarity in these parts) of Alma and Evaleen, who dote on him. He’s also nestled into a group of close friends, his cousins, serene Ferron and wild boy Kenty, and a sharp-witted Navajo girl named Sami Begay. Then, during a high-country hunting trip, Ryder takes a terrifying fall that leaves him so badly broken he’ll spend months in the hospital. The injuries will shape his whole life, and so will a secret that slips out during the ordeal: He’s adopted. His parents tell him they know nothing about his biological family and that they’re grateful to have him, but as Ryder shoots up to be much taller than any of his relatives and develops artistic talent none of them share, he’s haunted by his origins. The book’s evolving portrait of family relationships, even with some of its difficult members, is convincing, warm without veering into sentimentality. Ryder’s point of view, from his childhood to his role as a husband and father, evolves believably, and the dialogue and details capture the culture of the rural community. Some of the novel’s most memorable passages are those depicting the Utah landscape, not only the splendor of the mountains, mesas, and canyons but the sometimes deadly challenges they can present to humans.

Thrilling Western adventure frames heartfelt family drama as a boy searches for himself.