a suspenseful richly layered first novel that asks how much do we owe the people we lovethe dive from clausens pier will speak to all those who have ever thought about leaving when they knew they should stay anyone who has ever felt trapped not only by circumstance but by the strength of their own love carrie bell has lived in wisconsin all her life shes had the same best friend the same good relationship with her mother the same boyfriend for as long as anyone can remember but when her fiance mike is paralyzed by a tragic accident carrie has to question everything she thought she knew about herself and about the meaning of home ann packer has written a morally complex deeply satisfying novel about the desire to live fully and the conflict between who we want to be to others and who we must be for ourselves a magnificent debut from a remarkable new talent