Like Annie Proulx and Wayne Johnston, Kenneth J. Harvey has set a gripping, universal tale in an isolated outport village. That outport is Bareneed, Newfoundland, home to a vivid cast of characters who, one by one, come down with a mysterious breathing disorder. As the illness progresses, its victims fall into silence and are gripped by dark thoughts and urges. The people who can still fish find that their nets are full of bizarre creatures- the incarnations of legendary beasts that existed in the village's tales for generations. In writing that is pared- down, contemporary, realistic, and full of humour and humanity, Harvey unleashes a gripping, unstoppable story about what it really means to live in the modern world.