Emuva ngo-1984, uKent Haruf wayenombono ongajwayelekile wokwenza izwe lakubo kanye nezakhamizi zalo ezingama-nondescript babe yindawo yenoveli. Akukona ukuthi izinto eziningi noma ezingatheni zenzeka ezindaweni ezahlukahlukene ngenxa yokwakheka komhlaba nje noma ngenxa yezimpawu zabantu bendawo. Kepha-ke, njengoba ubhala kuhlale kungcono ukutholakala eMaine ejabule, njenge Stephen King. Noma sifuna okuthile okungajwayelekile, kude nendawo esikujwayele ukuhlanganisa ngokukhululeka… Iphuzu ukuthi le bekuyinoveli yakhe yokuqala mayelana nendawo ebizwa ngeHolt. Idolobha elilele lapho ungeke ume khona uma isithandwa esithile sikuphakamisa ubusuku obuhlanya embongolweni yomhlaba.
Kepha okuthile okungajwayelekile nakho kungavela kumqondo ongajwayelekile. Ngoba maphakathi ne-anodyne kusala ukucubungula izinhlamvu ezinemininingwane egulayo, njengama-voyeaurs alangazelela ukuthola umphefumulo nenjini yezenzo ezijwayelekile. Ngoba ekugcineni kwenzeka okungathandeki ngaso sonke isikhathi, ubuqili, i-phobia noma i-phobia ... futhi yonke into iyagxuma emoyeni…
Kuyintwasahlobo ka-1977 eHolt, eColorado. U-Octogenarian u-Edith Goodnough ulele embhedeni wasesibhedlela futhi iphoyisa libheke igumbi lakhe. Ezinyangeni ezimbalwa ngaphambili, umlilo wacekela phansi indlu lapho u-Edith ayehlala khona nomfowabo uLyman, futhi manje usolwa ngokubulawa kwakhe. Ngelinye ilanga, intatheli iza edolobheni izophenya ngalesi sehlakalo bese ikhuluma noSanders Roscoe, umlimi ongumakhelwane, owavikela u-Edith, wenqaba ukukhuluma. Kepha ekugcineni yizwi likaSanders elizositshela ngempilo yakhe, indaba eqala ngo-1906, lapho abazali baka-Edith noLyman befika eHolt bezofuna umhlaba nenhlanhla, futhi lokho kuzoba iminyaka engamashumi ayisikhombisa.
Kule noveli yokuqala, uKent Haruf usiyisa eMelika enzima yasemaphandleni, indawo eyenziwe ngezindlebe zommbila, utshani nezinkomo, isibhakabhaka esigcwele izinkanyezi ehlobo neqhwa eliningi ebusika, lapho kunendlela yokuziphatha engenakuphikwa, exhunywe nomhlaba nomndeni, futhi lapho lona wesifazane ezonikela ngeminyaka yakhe egameni lomsebenzi nenhlonipho bese kuthi, ngesenzo esisodwa, afune inkululeko yakhe. UHaruf usitshela ngabalingiswa bakhe ngaphandle kokwahlulela, kusukela ekwethembeni okujulile kwesithunzi nokuqina komoya womuntu okwenze ukuthi izwi lakhe lokubhala lingangabazeki.
Manje usungathenga inoveli ethi "The Strongest Bond", kaKent Haruf, lapha:
