A Sudden Light: A Novel

The bestselling author of The Art of Racing in the Rain presents a long-awaited new novel in which a boy trying to save his parents’ marriage uncovers a vast legacy of family secrets.In the summer of 1990, fourteen-year-old Trevor Riddell gets his first glimpse of Riddell House. Built from the spoils of a massive timber fortune, the legendary family mansion is constructed of giant whole trees and is set on a huge estate overlooking Seattle’s Puget Sound. Trevor’s bankrupt parents have begun a trial separation, and his father, Jones Riddell, has brought Trevor to Riddell House with a goal: to join forces with his sister, Serena, dispatch the ailing and elderly Grandpa Samuel to a nursing home, sell off the house and property for development, divide up the profits, and live happily ever after. But as Trevor explores the house’s secret stairways and hidden rooms, he discovers a spirit lingering in Riddell House whose agenda is at odds with the family plan. Only Trevor’s willingness to face the dark past of his forefathers will reveal the key to his family’s future. Spellbinding and atmospheric, A Sudden Light is rich with unconventional characters, scenes of transcendent natural beauty, and unforgettable moments of emotional truth that reflect Garth Stein’s outsized capacity for empathy and keen understanding of human motivation—a triumphant work of a master storyteller at the height of his power.

People

“Witty, atmospheric and filled with acutely observed characters, Stein’s ghost story possesses uncommon depth.”

The Dallas Morning News

"Remarkable....Stein's prose is assured, gorgeous, and magnificently atmospheric....Cheers to Garth Stein for showing us compassion, empathy, and incredible talent."

Minneapolis Star Tribune

"A captivating page-turner."

Seattle Times

"Rich and textured...Stein is resourceful, cleverly piecing together the family history with dreams, overheard conversations, and reminiscences...a tale well told."

Interview Magazine

"Set against the stunning beauty of the Pacific Northwest and told with expert angst, empathy, poetry, and mystery, Stein has created an ode to nature and redemption...in turns touching and classically sinister, with surprising twists."

Good Housekeeping

"A haunting family saga."

Deseret News

"Commanding...formidable...robust and well-written with beautifully clever diction and unexpected plot twists"

a beautiful, deeply thought-provoking story that is impossible to put down." -- Jamie Ford, author of Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet

"Take equal parts mystery, lyrical magic, and a healthy dose of natural wonder, add a multi-generational family struggling with the ghosts of the past, literally and figuratively, and you have A Sudden Light

Booklist, starred review

"Haunting in all the right ways."

and fallacy

“A Sudden Light is the best of many genres: a ghost story, a love story, historical fiction….a truly killer read…a bold, poignant book about wealth, family ties, and the power

Steamboat Pilot & Today

"Imbued with strong, quirky characters and the smell of place, the allegiances of family and the realization of mystery...When all is said and done, and you have turned the last page, you find you have loved the journey."

Queen Anne & Magnolia News

"Stein's beautiful writing packs a velvety punch and is pure pleasure to read. A Sudden Light entertains with suspenseful story lines and satisfies with its message of family, story, and redemption."

Boston Globe

"A 14-year-old boy trying to patch his family back together and a centuries-old ghost drive this novel's explorations of the connections between the living and the dead, parents and children, and what it means to be stewards of the land."

Aspen Daily News

“A story of empire-building, fathers and sons, family and environmental destruction, secrets kept and promises broken…a book worth reading.”

Historical Novels Review

"Heart-wrenching, poignant, joyful.... Garth Stein is a master storyteller!"

About the Author

Garth Stein is the author of the New York Times bestselling novels, A Sudden Light and The Art of Racing in the Rain, and two previous novels, How Evan Broke His Head and Other Secrets and Raven Stole the Moon. He is the cofounder of Seattle7Writers, a nonprofit collective of Northwest authors working to foster a passion for the written word. He lives in Seattle with his family. Visit him online at GarthStein.com.

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