A Hidden Place

My first novel, seen here in its 2002 Tor/Orb edition.  I had published only a couple of stories when Shawna McCarthy, then editor at Bantam Books, asked me whether I had a novel she could look at. A Hidden Place was it, and I approached it with the young writer’s predictable excess of ambition and dearth of experience. But it was well-received, and it probably set the tone for much of my later work with (what I'm told is) its underlying melancholy and moodiness.

From the reviews: 

"Toronto author Robert Wilson’s A Hidden Place is an astonishing debut. Set in the American Depression, it is first and foremost a novel of character -- of Travis Fisher’s coming of age when he is transplanted to the Midwest; of his girlfriend Nancy Wilcox, trapped in a small town with its small town bigotries; of Travis’s uncle, a strong man forced to accept his limitations; and most of all the strange hobo, Bone, and the mysterious boarder that Travis’s uncle has taken in.... Whether dealing with such dramas, or the quiet moments between Travis and Nancy, Wilson proves his remarkable talent on every page. Recommended." (Charles de Lint, The Ottawa Citizen)

"The air of resignation and the bittersweet feeling of longing Wilson creates are so strong that at times they tend to overwhelm the story. Despite [this], A Hidden Place is an impressive first novel, and Wilson is clearly a writer to watch." (San Francisco Chronicle)

"A Hidden Place will please you, and Wilson has a good deal to say to us all -- let’s hope for more of it." (Locus)