Semaphore

Joseph Carl Taft is a boy with a distinguished name and a remarkable ability -- he can see into the future. But his ability is a heavy burden to bear, especially for a boy who cannot speak. The knowledge that sends him careening toward the inevitable is also the knowledge that feeds his incredible affection for those he loves. But "Semaphore" is about more than language and the ability to move beyond one's own time. It's about the timelessness and transcendence of love; about the connectedness of things and how to hold that sacred. Beautifully written, emotionally taut, this is an achingly brilliant debut.