THE UNTENDED

Kramer’s novel offers a sweet love story set in a working-class New England town.

In the fictional town of Greenfield, Vermont, single mom Casch Abbey is struggling to make ends meet for herself and her two small kids, Molly and Dean. Then comes Topher, a gentle-mannered cannabis dealer and Afghanistan veteran with whom Casch feels an instant connection. Their budding romance is bolstered by a shared appreciation for nature and a desire to live simple, happy lives; Topher wants to honor his late grandmother’s green thumb, while Casch wants to go to nursing school and earn enough money to buy a house. In a long musing about foxes, readers learn more about Topher’s philosophy on life: “You are part of a bigger system,” he says. “All of nature supports you, and in return you have some role to play. You see? Like the fox. Your life matters.” Meanwhile, Casch is falling fast into a prescription drug habit, which she dangerously supports by fraudulently returning goods to stores for cash. Overall, Kramer’s novel offers a great deal of imagination, a lucid critique of American individualism, and a lovely ending. However, the book’s structure feels slapdash. As the narrative shifts the third-person perspective between Casch and Topher, their troubled pasts provide effective context for their desires for simple pleasures. However, even readers with a high tolerance for topsy-turvy plots will be thrown for a loop when the narrative shifts yet again to Russ, Casch’s stepdad. At this point in the story, readers are likely to ask themselves what the ultimate aim of the novel is, as it never quite becomes clear.

An earnest but disjointed novel of two people looking to find their American dream.