R. T. Smith's Sherburne chronicles the title family's encounters with ruthlessness over several generations. The patriarch discovers himself when he encounters Sherman's horse soldiers in 1864 Georgia, and his son, working in law enforcement in the Virginia Blue Ridge, finds himself struggling with moral issues in a harsh landscape.As practitioners and victims of violence, the Sherburne family makes an apt portrait of Smith's conviction that even those who resort to force on behalf of their community must bear the responsibility and carry the scars. "Ranging through time from the Civil War to the present, this intricate and exquisitely written collection further confirms that R. T. Smith is one of America's best writers. Sherburne is a magnificant acheivement." - Ron Rash