The Weight of an Infinite Sky
“Few writers can capture the poetry of the West like Carrie La Seur, and with a nod to Shakespeare she probes the West using its most mercurial element — the interior topography of its people. The Weight of an Infinite Sky is bound to be an instant western classic.” Craig Johnson, author of the Walt Longmire series
“…soft-spoken and convincingly wise … The Weight of an Infinite Sky has all of the lean storytelling grace of The Home Place and noticeably greater resonance. La Seur has entirely avoided the notorious ‘sophomore slump’ that so often afflicts novelists – the book will leave readers hoping for a triple.” Steve Donoghue, Open Letters Review
“Carrie La Seur has delivered a fascinating psychological exploration of a family struggling between tradition and dreams, staged in the wild Montana landscape. It’s an intimate peek into the heart of the West.” Jenny Maloney, Criminal Element
“The Weight of an Infinite Sky is a stunning story about family, murder, betrayal, and love, drawing in elements of Shakespeare’s Hamlet. Set in the unforgiving, open land of Montana, La Seur easily captures the essence of the West… Elegant, poignant, and poetic, The Weight of an Infinite Sky is a beautiful addition to La Seur’s works.” BookTrib.com
“La Seur sets her exploration of the Shakespearean themes of abandonment and betrayal, remorse and regret, atonement and redemption against the stunning backdrop of Big Sky country and offers an intimate approach to epic emotions.” Booklist
La Seur “weav(es) an elegant thread of Shakespeare and poetry throughout” The Weight of an Infinite Sky. Lincee Ray, Associated Press
“La Seur writes poetically about the beauty and struggle of the west, balancing small town values and big city dreams…. (A) timely story, with echoes of the Dakota Access Pipeline struggle and sacred land.” Betty Lytle, The Oklahoman
“La Seur’s moving explorations of family and home, grasp of the underlying rural and urban divisions and descriptions of contemporary Western life give (The Weight of an Infinite Sky) a distinct voice.” Kim Himstreet, Bend Bulletin
“La Seur is a talented writer who knows how to write about Montana.” Missoula Independent
“La Seur’s second novel is as beautifully written as her first, telling another gripping and deeply moving tale that is rich in characterization, detail and true emotion. Once again, she manages to capture what one can imagine to be the true spirit of the West, but more importantly, the true meanings of family. [It’s] a beautiful tale and the perfect winter read!” RT Book Reviews, 4 stars
The Home Place
“The Home Place is one of the year’s strongest debuts.” Oline H. Cogdill, Associated Press
“Walloping in suspense, drama, rage, and remorse, this debut is an accomplished literary novel of the new West.” Library Journal
“La Seur makes a very assured debut. Her characters are rich and believable; the plot is perfectly paced with mystery and romance enough to keep the reader hooked. And it’s all played against a beautifully drawn Montana backdrop.” Booklist
“La Seur entices readers with impeccable prose imbued with a blend of romance, nostalgia and suspense.” Kirkus Reviews
“The most immediate beauty of Carrie La Seur’s debut novel, The Home Place, is that it proves itself to be a myth-buster in both storyline and in theme from the opening paragraph.” Laura Pritchett, Fiction Writers Review
“Upon returning to Montana in the wake of her younger sister’s mysterious death, Alma Terrebonne learns that her family’s past is just as wild and unpredictable as the unforgiving natural world. And like the natural world, Alma’s family has only one law: Survival. Like thin ice on the face of a frozen lake, once this novel is cracked open it’ll pull you in and dare you to come up for air. In Alma Terrebonne, Carrie La Seur has forged a heroine who’s just as smart as her creator. The Home Place is a lot of things: a mystery, a crime drama, a family saga, and – most importantly – a very, very good book.” Wiley Cash, New York Times bestselling author of This Dark Road to Mercy
“Powerfully evocative and page-turning.” Rosamund Lupton, New York Times bestselling author of Sister and Afterwards
“”Carrie La Seur’s début is a gripping story of family, love and murder. Set against an indelibly drawn Montana landscape, The Home Place explores the intangible ways we are both defined by and in opposition to the people and places we call home.” Tara Conklin, New York Times bestselling author of The House Girl
“Carrie La Seur spent a decade writing her debut, and it shows in the gorgeously crafted sentences, the layered characters, and the perfect evocation of our longing to find our place in the world. The Home Place is rooted both in La Seur’s own history as a lawyer and Montana ex-pat, and her deep understanding of human nature.” Joshilyn Jackson, New York Times bestselling author of six novels, most recently Someone Else’s Love Story
“Carrie La Seur’s The Home Place gives great insight into the things that define who we are. Home — the people, place and circumstances we cannot control, but sometimes have to face in order to understand who we are inside. Place — the landscape, pride, and weather, all far beyond our control but also important to who we become… This will be a great book to put into the hands of Montana natives and those who want to understand the place!” Barbara Theroux, Fact & Fiction Books, Missoula, Montana
“This is really a very tight, tangled and raw first novel that stays in my head even after several months. Keep your eye out for Carrie La Seur – she’s the real deal.” Jackie Blem, Tattered Cover, Denver, Colorado
“A successful attorney living in a Seattle high-rise, Alma Terrebonne has distanced herself from her rural Montana roots and pushed painful adolescent memories and troubled family members as far away as she can manage. At the opening of The Home Place , Carrie La Seur’s gripping debut novel, Alma is jolted from her fast-paced, comfortable life when she hears the news of her younger sister’s sudden death. Back in Billings Alma must grapple with her sister’s demons, fight a predatory coal company and ultimately face issues that she has been running away from for years. Any novel of the West worth its salt honors the landscape as a character shaper and a character itself. The sweep of the land, the bitter winter cold and the endless sky populate The Home Place as memorably as its many quirky, troubled, compelling and very human residents. I loved The Home Place , a deeply satisfying page turner filled with heart, human foible and a transcendent link to the land.” Cathy Langer, Tattered Cover Book Store, Denver, Colorado