Bruce Machart, the author of The Wake of Forgiveness, pens this critically acclaimed collection of 10 nuanced tales. The characters in Machart’s affecting fiction find themselves attempting to measure up to their own beliefs in what it means to be a man, even as they struggle and often fail to be good providers, to protect their wives from violence, and to shield their children from life’s brutality. “. a mesmerizing, mythic saga.”-New York Times Book Review on The Wake of Forgiveness

This accomplished debut novel from Bruce Machart has drawn critical raves. In 1895 Texas, Karel Skala enters the world while his mother dies in childbirth. Fifteen years later, guilt-stricken Karel puts his family’s fortunes on the line in a horse race against a powerful Spanish patriarch. “Machart’s moving story unfolds lyrically and sensually, with little fanfare, as his thoughtful prose propels a character-driven story about family, morality, and redemption.”-Publishers Weekly