A Sudden Light is a captivating coming-of-age ghost story by the author of the internationally bestselling phenomenon, The Art of Racing in the Rain.

In the summer of 1990, fourteen-year-old Trevor Riddell gets his first glimpse of the legendary Riddell House, built from the spoils of a massive timber fortune. This majestic family mansion, constructed of giant whole trees, is set on a sprawling estate overlooking the stunning Puget Sound.

Trevor's parents are bankrupt and in a trial separation. His father, Jones Riddell, brings Trevor to Riddell House with a goal: to join forces with his sister, Serena, to move Grandpa Samuel, who is struggling with dementia, to a care facility, sell the house and property for development into "tract housing for millionaires," and divide the profits.

However, Trevor soon discovers that there's someone else living in Riddell House—a ghost with its own agenda. The land holds tremendous value but is burdened by the final wishes of the family patriarch, Elijah, who wanted it to return to untamed forestland as penance for the trees harvested by the Riddell Timber company. The ghost will not rest until Elijah’s wish is fulfilled, and Trevor's willingness to confront the past holds the key to his family's future.

This novel is a rich, atmospheric work that weaves together a multigenerational family saga, a historical narrative, and a contemporary family's struggle to connect. It's a tribute to the natural beauty of the Pacific Northwest, reflecting Garth Stein's deep empathy and understanding of human motivation, as well as his rare ability to see the unseen—the universal threads that connect us all.