Ron Carlson is best-known for short story collections such as "At the Jim Bridger." His first novel in a quarter-century, "Five Skies," follows three men sent into the wilds of Idaho for an unusual construction project.
They go to build a ramp for a motorcycle stunt rider who wants to jump a huge canyon.
All of the men bring painful histories with them, stories that gradually surface as the summer progresses. The book has been gathering rave reviews.
Carlson told Minnesota Public Radio's Euan Kerr he first thought about the characters 12 years ago.