Publisher's Weekly Review
Boyce's debut is a dexterous blend of love, loss, work, and fortitude. The fanciful endeavor of creating crop circles is taken seriously by such "circlers" as Daniel Green, whose interest in them was sparked while in summer camp during his last year in high school. Seven years later, he has honed his craft of designing and producing the mysterious circles for farmers, who enlist the circlers to bring attention to their town. This is the nature of the request from Sam, who has cancer and has little time left, and his wife, Molly, in Munsen, Vt. Sam wishes to encourage his son, Charlie, to return to Vermont and take over the farm, but Charlie has become a doctor, moved to San Francisco, and has essentially become estranged from Sam. Sam's daughter, Nessa, who has always loved working the land, returns from a year-long mushroom-hunting diversion in California, where she was able to be near her brother. Nessa meets Daniel, and the two find enough comfort and romantic potential in each other's presence to take a road trip to visit Charlie and tell him about Sam's health; the story simultaneously builds toward whether Daniel will complete the crop design. The process of making crop circles is intricately described, with circlers reveling in moments when their work is viewed, evoking "the perfect laugh, pure and clear." This is a thoughtful, appealing novel about life's endings and beginnings. Agent: Eric Smith, P.S. Literary. (Apr.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Booklist Review
Daniel Green has a unique job: he makes crop circles. Yes, those crop circles. He belongs to a secret society of circlers who make these works of art at the behest of landowners looking to stir up excitement, revitalize their businesses, or simply incite wonder. It's an itinerant life, and for Daniel, this most recent job is special. It will be his fifteenth circle, at which point he'll be eligible to join the most exclusive inner circle of the organization. But Daniel soon finds himself caught up in the lives of the people who hired him: Sam, who hopes to bring young people back to the small farming community; his wife, Molly, who just wants to support her husband before cancer claims him; and their daughter, Nessa, who just can't resist the magic of it all. Before long, Daniel is endangering the project to take a cross-country road trip that might change his life. With a one-of-a-kind, intriguing premise, this novel features interesting, well-rounded characters and an affecting portrayal of loving someone with a mental illness.--Diana Platt Copyright 2019 Booklist
