“In different ways, all of the characters struggle with unanswerable questions concerning belief, family, community, and violence. So powerful is the language and reflection in this, Coloradan Langsfeld’s first novel, the plot is secondary . . . Steeped in existential despair, this stripped-down novel at its best rises to the level of roots masters Michael Farris Smith, Tom Franklin, and Brian Panowich—great company for a writer who will only get better. A haunting fait accompli captured by a strong new voice in Western noir.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
“Our Western lands, beautiful and remote, often become the keepers of our souls. Yet it is our friends and families that redeem us. C. William Langsfeld’s taut, righteous, gripping novel reminds us how hard love in a magnificent place can be—and how essential. This debut novel is a beautiful story that cuts deep.” —Alyson Hagy, author of Scribe
“Langsfeld’s writing hits like a brushfire: sparks seemingly harmless then quickly burns you alive. It is searing and direct and quite possibly a perfect voice for our world.” —Dane Bahr, author of Stag
“In Langsfeld’s debut, we find a gut-punch of a novel that explores exactly what the title presents: salvation. In a complicated and dark world, redemption is forged by carving our own path, seeking our own justice. With a voice all its own, this novel is gracefully written and also extraordinarily riveting. One of those books you can’t put down—and you’re a bit sad when it ends.” —Laura Pritchett, author of Stars Go Blue
“Salvation by Cosmo Langsfeld reflects both the hard edges of life in the Colorado high country and the gentle side of small town life. Langsfelds’s prose arrives like a snowstorm, each sentence accumulating into a deep and inescapable story. This is a story of the American West readers want from an author with the background to tell it.” —Arvin Ramgoolam, a 2022 MacDowell Fellow and co-founder of the Mountain Words Literary Festival
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