Set mostly in the small, fictional town of Somerset, New Hampshire, the story of this novel unfolds like a set of Russian dolls: Every apparent truth hides a secret, which in turn revolves around another hidden narrative. While secrets are not the prerogative of small towns, they are more difficult to hide there, and perhaps, for that reason, more ferociously kept. As shown in this novel, such secrets may become the most significant fact in a person’s life, and trying to keep others from finding out the truth determines the course of people’s existence.

The secret that shapes the plot of this novel is primarily the one that David Kellergan keeps about his daughter’s illness: “I was afraid they would take her away from me. That they would lock her up” (545). Nola’s fate might have been radically different had he acknowledged her need for professional help instead of hiding from the truth—“I hid out in the garage and worked on that damn motorcycle. I turned the music up as loud as possible” (546)—drowning out the sounds of Nola torturing herself. Although several other characters note the inconsistencies regarding the existence of Nola’s mother (her friends Nancy and Stephanie, as well as

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