A literary debut of stark and striking brilliance - a coming-of-age story, set in the remote wilderness of northern Wisconsin. Born mute and able to communicate only by sign, the brilliant Edgar Sawtelle leads an idyllic life with his parents. For generations, the Sawtelles have raised and trained a breed of dog whose thoughtful companionship is epitomised by Almodine, Edgar's lifelong companion. But his father's murderer turned Edgar ever homeward. When he returns, nothing is as he expects, and Edgar must choose between revenge and preserving his family legacy...