The Wilding

His father never took Justin to Hawaii or Disneyland or Mount Rushmore Instead, he would load up the bed of his pickup with camping gear and they would drive to Christmas Valley or the Umpqua River or the Malheur Preserve, some still-wild place where they would hike dry-mouthed across a desert flat or fish a snake-shaped river or scour the forest floor for mushrooms to cook It was in Echo Canyon---high in the Ochoco Mountains, among the big pines and bear grass meadows---that they hunted every November.

Echo Canyon, a disappearing pocket of wilderness outside Bend, Oregon, is the site of conflicting memories for justin Caves and his father, Paul. It's slated for redevelopment as a golfing resort. When Paul suggests one last hunting trip, Justin accepts, hoping to set things right with his father, and he agrees to bring his son along, too.

As the weekend unfolds, Justin is pushed to the limit by the reckless taunting of his father, the physical demands of the terrain, and the menacing evidence of a bear's hovering presence. All the while, he remembers the promise he made to his skeptical wife: to keep their son safe. For Justin, these few days will map the changing territory of his heart as he discovers how far he will go to protect those he loves.

In his expansive and adventurous debut novel, Benjamin Percy more than delivers on the promise of his heralded short-story collection, Refresh, Refresh. As The Wilding builds to a surprising climax, he shows a mastery of narrative suspense, interweaving the perspectives of Justin and his family. Through their contrasting viewpoints Percy shines unexpected light on our shifting relationship with nature and family---and on our inmost selves. The Wilding establishes Percy as a powerful voice for his generation as he once again "explores and defines the unexpected dangers and fresh fears of this new century" (Los Angeles Times).

Benjamin Percy is the author of two collections of short stories. Refresh, Refresh and The Language of EIK. His stories have appeared in the Paris Review, Esquire, Glimmer Train, and Orion, among other places. He has been awarded the Plimpton Prize and a Whiting Writers' Award, and has been included in Best American Short Stories. Raised in the high desert of Central Oregon, he teaches at lowa State University.