Another human tale by Ed Sundt, The Last Judgment is rooted in an era earlier than when Ed grew up in rural New England among strong and self-reliant people. The story is fictional but swirls around universal passions that rule the characters, sometimes submerged beneath stoic and even taciturn facades. Strengths can turn into crippling weaknesses when carried to the extreme. In his first two novels, people have lives grounded in life-long journeys to search for their past and future. In The Last Judgment, tragedy unfolds due to biases, blinding stubbornness, and rash judgment. Just when one layer is peeled away, others appear as the people face their present with interwoven, tragic realizations.