Martin Gregory believes he has one last shot at emotionally connecting with the son he adopted seventeen years ago from the only woman he ever loved. A long road trip could be the answer. But the boy has other ideas as the two of them navigate the past and contemplate the future during a summer journey through the American West. The trip uncovers long-held secrets—both Martin's and his son's—and becomes an exploration of whether the deep emotions that brought them together in the first place are more important than what could tear them apart. Things Behind the Sun is an inspired coming-of-age story about the powerful, complicated yet enduring bond between fathers and sons. "Beautifully and patiently rendered, Things Behind the Sun is a meditative and empathic exploration of fate, family, and finding one's way. David W. Berner has created a vast emotional landscape as vibrant and expansive as its Pacific Northwest backdrop." —Claire Lombardo, author of the New York Times bestselling novel, The Most Fun We Ever Had “Things Behind the Sun is full of pathos and wisdom. Deep friendships and the complexity of family are the binding glues that hold this exquisitely told story together.” —Shawn Shiflett, author of Hey, Liberal! “Powerful…emotionally charged…an intricately connected, lyrical and moving story.” —Veryan Williams-Wynn, author of The Spirit Trap "A captivating exploration of identity. Things Behind the Sun reveals there is no chasm of secrets large enough that a summer road trip can't bridge." —Michelle Burwell, Windy City Reviews “Things Behind the Sun is a wonderfully realized story of love, devotion, and coming to terms with one's heritage and life commitments.” —Floyd Sullivan, author of Called Out: A Novel of 1908 David W. Berner is an award-winning journalist, broadcaster, author, and associate professor at Columbia College Chicago. In 2011, he was named the Jack Kerouac Writer-in-Residence at the Jack Kerouac Project, and in 2015 David was named the Writer-in-Residence at the Ernest Hemingway Birthplace Home in Oak Park, IL.