"e;A hilarious, high-spirited, it's-great-to-be-alive hoot of a novel."e;-Newsday The typically tranquil backcountry town of Mattagash, Maine, is buzzing with news. Amy Joy Lawler, the last of Mattagash's founding clan, just announced her engagement to Jean Claude Cloutier-an outsider. Her scandalized mother takes to bed in protest while the rest of the town gleefully anticipates the social event of the year. As guests roll in, the no-good Giffords plot to steal wedding gifts and hubcaps, and motel owner Albert Pinkham devises new schemes to fill his cash register. Meanwhile, on hearing this news, Amy Joy's aunt downstate plots to return to Mattagash for good against her husband's wishes, while her son carries on an affair with an Elizabeth Taylor look-alike behind the back of his Valium-addicted wife. When this volatile assortment gathers in church on the big day, hilarious and wacky results ensue. With wry humor and razor-sharp wit, Cathie Pelletier weaves a powerful story-at once outlandish and poignant-about family, heritage, and the often imperceptible ties that bind us together.

"e;As downright knee-slapping, laugh-out-loud a novel as I've read.[Pelletier] has clearly emerged as one of the very best."e;-Washington Post Book World "e;A generous and genuine entertainment."e;-New Yorker.