Earth: A Novel

When Irene Ostendorf fires her rifle, the shot sends an out-of-town cyclist tumbling and her new pastor, J. W. "Dent" Denton, into the thorniest dilemma of his already complicated ministerial career. How can he earn the goodwill of the townsfolk, support the eccentric old shooter, and offer help to the injured young man, all at the same time? The more Dent tries to do the right thing, the further he stumbles into a minefield of small-town secrets that everyone-especially the president of the local Last Man Club-seems hell-bent on preserving.
While Dent digs deeper into the town's past and his own failed marriage, Ashley, a young college student with a curious tattoo, wrestles with a secret that threatens to expose her and tear her loved ones apart. But when a teenaged waitress named Maya disappears into a winter storm, Dent and Ashley find themselves on a collision course with their pasts-one that will end in an inescapable choice. Keep their secrets, or save Maya.