An incredibly exciting literary debut Pre-empted in the USA and Germany For fans of John Irving, Richard Russo and Garrison Keillor

Cedar Hole is a foggy little town where only the grass seems able to thrive. Enter Robert J. Cutler, enigmatic, confident and relentlessly cheerful. Robert seems to be heading for great things - more than this town of hopeless washouts can offer him, certainly. However, he is devoted to Cedar Hole and determines to become its school's best student. Now meet Francis 'Spud' Pinkham, who is trying to stay as invisible as Robert is brilliant. Spud's nine terrifying elder sisters make his life a daily battle and he slips easily and willingly into the role of the school bully. It seems that these boys' lives have been mapped out already. But destiny has other plans: the colourful residents of Cedar Hole will be forced to acknowledge that a great man can come in many guises.