Three Farmers on Their Way to a Dance

An outstanding novel Observer

A writer of blistering intellect Los Angeles Times

Unexpected and richly imaginative London Review of Books

A first novel of intricate merit ... A rich imagination glitters throughout Mail on Sunday

In the spring of 1914, German photographer August Sander captures a haunting image: three young men on their way to a country dance, themselves unknowingly on the brink of the First World War. This photograph becomes the focal point of Richard Powers’ compelling debut novel, Three Farmers on Their Way to a Dance.

The fate of the three farmers is intertwined with two contemporary stories: a museum-goer becomes obsessed with the photograph, and a young writer in Boston discovers he has a personal connection to it. Seamlessly blended together, these three narratives depict a century scarred by savagery and fired by progress.