Arcadia

New York Times Bestseller

"Timeless and vast... The raw beauty of Ms. Groff€s prose is one of the best things about Arcadia. But it is by no means this book€s only kind of splendor." --Janet Maslin, The New York Times

"Even the most incidental details vibrate with life ¯¿½ Arcadia wends a harrowing path back to a fragile, lovely place you can believe in." --Ron Charles, The Washington Post

In the fields of western New York State in the 1970s, a few dozen idealists set out to live off the land, founding a commune centered on the grounds of a decaying mansion called Arcadia House. Arcadia follows this romantic utopian dream from its hopeful start through its heyday. Arcadia€s inhabitants include Handy, the charismatic leader; his wife, Astrid, a midwife; Abe, a master carpenter; Hannah, a baker and historian; and Abe and Hannah€s only child, Bit. While Arcadia rises and falls, Bit, too, ages and changes. He falls in love with Helle, Handy€s lovely, troubled daughter. And eventually he must face the world beyond Arcadia.

In Arcadia, Groff displays her literary gifts to stunning effect.

"Fascinating." --People (****)

"It€s not possible to write any better without showing off." --Richard Russo, author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel Empire Falls

"Dazzling." --Vogue