For folks reading this on their phone / iPad / etc, go here to read the first chapter:
http://joshritter.com/files/2011/03/joshritter-brightspassage-chapter1.pdf

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About the book:
The novel follows a young, widowed veteran of the First World War, Henry Bright, as he and his infant son, along with an unlikely guardian angel flee from a forest fire and Bright’s cruel in-laws. Shifting between their strange journey through West Virginia’s hickory-canopied foothills, Bright’s harrowing memories of the trenches of France, and recollections from his childhood, the novel is at times suspenseful and kinetic, quiet and eerie, and often humorous.

Early Praise for Bright’s Passage:

“Josh Ritter is already one of the country’s most accomplished songwriters. Based on the heartbreaking, luminous Bright’s Passage, he may become one of our most accomplished novelists as well.”— Dennis Lehane, author of Mystic River and Shutter Island

“An adventure story with the penetrating emotional colors of a fable; a myth-like survival quest with the convincing texture of a movie; a good read that stays in the memory.”—Robert Pinsky

“A perfect marriage of the miraculous and the mundane, Bright’s Passage is itself something of a miracle. Combining the pull of a big ballad and the intimacy of a whispered monologue, it satisfies on every level: from its deceptively casual style and unexpected coinages to its astute psychology and emotional power. I imagine this is precisely the book every fan of Ritter’s music wanted, but Bright’s Passage is far more than that.” -Wesley Stace, author of Misfortune and Charles Jessold, Considered as a Murderer

“A dark, enchanting parable that reads as both a warning and a reassurance, Bright’s Passage has echoes of voices as disparate as Ron Rash, Richard Bausch, and Neil Gaiman. But, as always, Josh Ritter’s haunting, graceful work is his own. His gifts are of singular beauty, and the world of American art is fortunate to have been blessed with his talent.” – Michael Koryta, author of So Cold The River and The Cypress House

“In his debut novel Josh Ritter displays the same love of language and historical detail, the same irresistible combination of wit and earnestness, that make him such a brilliant songwriter. He’s created a genuine work of literature.” – Debby Applegate, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Most Famous Man in America: The Biography of Henry Ward Beecher

“After earning his place as one of the most gifted songwriters of our time, Josh Ritter goes off and writes a terrific novel. Set in post-World War I Appalachia, Bright’s Passage charts the journey of a young, lost soldier, home from the war but in a sense still there. This is one of the finest first novels to come our way in a long time.” – Thomas E. Ricks, author of Fiasco and The Gamble

A note from Josh on the novel:

“Hey All!

Here’s the first chapter to my first novel, Bright’s Passage. Wow! It makes me very proud to write that! Right now I’m sitting on the floor in Penn Station in New York, waiting for a train to Philadelphia where I’m to play a solo show. There are so many places a story can be told. Over the past year and a half, in airport bars and laundromats, tour busses and kitchens I’ve been telling myself the story of Henry Bright and his world. A story that started as a song is now a world inhabited by characters that are still surprising to me. I’m so happy to begin to present that world to others. Great thanks goes, as ever, to my family and my music family, my new friends at the Dial Press, and all of those whose generosity of will made this book possible.

Finally, thank all of you for your continued belief in my writing, whatever form it may take. I never forget who it is that makes all of this possible in the end.

As ever, rock on!
Josh”