At the heart of Sointula is Evelyn, a middle-aged woman who abandons her privileged existence. She throws away the trappings of her civilized life—her antidepressants and her air ticket home, her wallet and most of the clothes off her back—steals a kayak, and embarks on a quest that takes her deep into the wilderness. The goal: to find Tom—her strange, damaged son—in the remote village of Sointula. Equal parts light and dark, compassion and irony, this is Gaston’s most mature work.