First published in 1981 to wide acclaim, a haunting family novel by'a daringly skillful writer.‘ (Philip Roth);;Foreword by Mary Gordon;;First published in 1981 to wide acclaim, The Countryfollows the last visits of a son, Daniel Francoeur, to his parents’ home before the death of his father. Wanting to understand this enigmatic man, Daniel seeks insight through the particulars of his father’s life-handling his father’s tools and tending to his father’s feeble body. Through this contact, his father’s mysteries are revealed- his Native-American heritage, his lifelong work as a toolmaker, and his deep and conflicted relationships with his invalid wife and his seven sons. ;;Written quietly, with great force, The Country illuminates the ties of family, the relationships between fathers and sons, and the love that is often hidden, but ever present.