'This novel confirms Rash’s status as a master of that dark regional tradition that has distinguished American fiction since Mark Twain.' * Weekend Australian * 'Cormac McCarthy has made a good living, hard-earned and richly deserved, out of his mordant, bewildered, sceptical take on American history. Ron Rash may not enjoy the same popularity (yet). but he does demonstrate, repeatedly, a comparable force of expression, a remarkable depth of feeling and most of all a deep and abiding sense of tragedy.' * Canberra Times * 'Few writers do dark American gothic as capably as Rash.' * Qantas: The Australian Way * 'Rash writes with brutal honesty about the difficulty of a life spent in constant battle with the land and the seasons, the petty cruelties we inflict upon each other and the injustices of a seemingly indifferent fate. But he also celebrates the goodness of people, the small kindness that sustain us, and the moments of pleasure in the natural world.' * Otago Daily Times * 'A tragic, evocative tale, in which history, nature and the gothic blend seamlessly.' * Sun Herald * 'The Cove is in some ways Steinbeck-esque, with tough characters enduring grinding poverty and living in the shadow of inflexible community values. This is a beautiful, dark story, crafted with painful honesty and an eye on crafting and atmosphere the reader can see, hear and taste.' * Courier Mail * 'The greatest pleasure in it for me was the clear, rather mannered cadence of the prose and the author’s fine ear for the speech rhythms of the rural South.' -- Ursula Le Guin * Guardian * 'Rash draws on the darkest elements of the fairy tale and the devices of light and shadow, romance and vengeance, while refraining from the stock sexualisation introduced by many contemporary writers…This very fine, dignified, almost stately novel speaks from another time and does so with rare conviction.' * Irish Times * '...one of the most exciting American writers at work.' * Sydney Morning Herald * 'The Cove is a a work of intelligence, emotion and, most importantly, sublime storytelling.' * Gold Coast Bulletin *