Crossing to Safety was actually the first book I read after college.

Erin Sells, a true California girl at heart (in the best sense of the term, though she is now a California expatriate), recommended this true California writer (in the best sense of the term) to me.

This is a beautiful grown-up book about marriage and fidelity. Which is more unusual in the world of American fiction than you'd think.

Before I read this book, all I knew about Stegner was the famous fellowship named after him which is sometimes given to really awesome people.

But this and Angle of Repose are definitely worth reading, out there in the "Great American Novel" category.