"In his quiet cosmic wonderment, Baxter is the equal of John Updike and Anne Tyler at their largest and best."― GQ Without question Charles Baxter, whose ravishing novel The Feast of Love was a National Book Award finalist, is one of our finest contemporary writers. These two books, set in the Michigan landscape that Baxter has made his own, display his unparalleled gift for revealing the unexpected in everyday life. In the novel Shadow Play , a decent man, having made a "devil's bargain," finds himself on that precarious border between personal love and social responsibility. Reading group guide included. Big, moving, rich with life and story. -- Lorrie Moore, New York Times Book Review In his quiet cosmic wonderment, Baxter is the equal of John Updike and Anne Tyler at their largest and best. -- GQ Powerful...an invigorating experience. -- Dallas Morning News , 7 April 2002 We have the satisfaction of having been immersed in a beautifully rendered and fully imagined world. -- Michiko Kakutani, New York Times Charles Baxter lives in Minneapolis and teaches at the University of Minnesota.