A deeply nuanced coming-of-age story set against the backdrop of the Great Depression and World War II

“To every life there comes a moment where one small decision changes the course of our destinies. From this, everything must follow.” For the lonely Depression-era Saskatchewan boy Peter Jensen, that moment comes when a charismatic drifter limps up to his family’s farm, looking for work. So begins his complex and compelling relationship with Jackie O’Dell.

When Peter’s father grows suspicious of his relationship with Jackie, more than ten years his senior, Jackie flees and Peter follows, the pair moving from the Saskatchewan hills to the underbelly of Calgary, and the ranches and rodeos of Wyoming, Montana, and beyond. As Peter matures, he gains insight into the true nature of their dynamic. In his determination to maintain a sense of agency in defiance of victimhood, he enlists to serve in World War II. As a soldier, Peter discovers an intriguing new world of relationships to explore, but Jackie’s unyielding pull haunts him.

Written with force, lyricism, and beauty, Sob Lake is a deeply empathetic exploration of the disturbing connection between two broken men.