Summary

The Prologue is set in January, 1989. Cork O'Connor has just been sworn in a sheriff of Tamarack County, Minnesota. He takes note of the burns and scars that cover the desk is his office, a symbol of all the sheriffs who came before him. One of those was Cork's father Liam who gave his life for this job. The fact that Cork is now sheriff is a sign of hope for the Ojibwe Indians who have seldom gotten justice. Cork and Deputy Ed Larson walk through downtown Aurora. The clock on the courthouse has not worked since the shootout that killed Liam. The shootout was 25 years ago. Cork takes some time alone on a bench, feeling “the weight of a new badge on his chest” (4) and thinking about his father.

Part One is titled "Suicide." The section reverts to the summer of 1963. In...