Torch By Cheryl Strayed. This novel looks at every aspect of loss and recovery with honesty--the pain, the joy, the absurdity, the anger, the despair, the hope and the great beauty--without holding back. In Torch, the award-winning writer Strayed creates from one Minnesota family's shattering experience a novel infused with tenderness, compassion and beauty. It is beautifully written and authentic in its portrayal of the unexpected fallout a family death can engender. PB. 322 pgs.