Union Atlantic

Charlotte Graves, a retired history teacher, starts hearing her two dogs talk to her, and their voices belong to Cotton Mather and Malcolm X. Her land once belonged to her family, and now Doug Fanning, an ambitious young banker, is raising a showy mansion on it. The two come into conflict, and a troubled high school student, Nate Fuller, becomes entangled in it, stirring strong feelings in both of them. The novel follows how money, the urge to protect tradition, and the twisted pull of desire shape these people. Its wide reach and careful detail portray a violent, uneasy modern world.