The Descent - Paperbackby Fritz Peters (Author) Set in the 1950s, The Descent asks the question, "Where are we all going, so fast?" when the fates of seven travelers converge at a hairpin turn on a New Mexico highway. In his most accessible and mainstream novel, Peters turns his observational prowess to the most unassuming of characters. Their dead ends and diversions are the repercussions of haphazard decisions made by their unexamined selves. Whether battle worn or