The Weight of an Infinite Sky

Book excerpt: The critically acclaimed author of The Home Place explores the heart and mystery of Big Sky Country in this evocative and atmospheric novel of family, home, love, and responsibility inspired by William Shakespeare’s Hamlet The Fry family has lived in Montana for decades, giving its life, generation after generation, to the family cattle ranch and unforgiving Montana soil. But Anthony, the only son in the new generation, longs for the excitement and sophistication of city life. Tired of the expectation that he will take over the family business, he flees to New York, hoping to make a career in the theater. But New York isn’t the dream Anthony thought it would be, and between his struggles in the city and the unexpected death of his father, he suddenly finds himself back in the place to which he’d sworn never to return. The last few years have transformed the artistic dreamer, but they’ve changed his home as well. His uncle Neal, always the black sheep of the Fry family, has become alarmingly close with Anthony’s mother, and a predatory mining company covets the Fry land. Anthony has always wanted out of Montana, away from his father’s suffocating expectations. Yet now that he may be freed from the burden of family legacy, he’s forced to ask himself what he truly finds important and answer to the Montana soil one more time. In this unforgettable novel, Carrie La Seur once again captures the breathtaking beauty of the West and its people as she explores the power of family and the meaning of legacy—the burdens we inherit and those we place upon ourselves.