Three Farmers on Their Way to a Dance

In Richard Powers' compelling novel, a photograph taken by renowned photographer August Sander in 1914 of three young men heading to a country dance serves as a poignant backdrop to a narrative that intertwines past and present. As the story traces the fate of these farmers against the looming shadow of World War I, it follows a young narrator captivated by the image and Peter Mays, a Boston-based computer writer who uncovers a personal connection to it. Their journeys connect in unexpected ways, weaving a tapestry of mystery that spans a century of both brutality and progress.