I got this large-print-edition ex-library hardcover from Better World Books. (There's a film adaptation currently in post-production.) It's about a declining small town on a remote Canadian island - and one man who is adamant about refusing a government resettlement package that everyone else on the island has accepted. After increasingly disturbing pressure from neighbors (anonymous and not-so-anonymous) he decides to take a bold step: he'll fake his own death, freeing the others to accept the package and himself to remain - alone - on the island...

Protagonist Moses Sweetland is a hard person to empathize with, as his view of things is distant and often prickly. His story unfolds asynchronously - flashbacks, dreams, visions, etc. tell us about traumatic episodes in his life, from the death of his beloved brother while fishing to Moses' own severe injuries after an accident in an industrial plant. Other instances illustrate the harshness of life on this tiny island, battered by storms and with scanty provision for crops or livestock. And once Moses is alone on the island and has to sustain himself - and one unwanted guest, a stray dog - his life gets more and more harsh...

The story's oddly involving despite the often-rough-and-unlikable characters, and it's certainly atmospheric - I could feel the chill when winter swept in.

I left this book in the Little Free Library; hope someone enjoys it!

[See other recent releases in NH here.]

*** Released for the 2022 One Word Title challenge. ***