A book found by a friend who was nice enough to lend it to me. She wasn't a hundred percent sure whether I would love it but she thought I might like it. And she was right, a great and interesting book.
What I didn't realize at first was that I read a book by the same author years ago and I really liked that one: "The Piano Tuner".
The description on the back of this book was useless as it was interspersed with critics' laudations. But here it is (better version from Goodreads at the end):
"Over four centuries,
A single house dep in the woods of New England
Is the Home to runaways and visionairies, inseparable twins, a lovelorn painer, a desperat mother and a ruthless con man.
Each of them has a story to tell.
Prepare to be changed."
The set-up reminded me of another book I really loved where the author describes the life or a painting:
Vreeland, Susan "Girl in Hyacinth Blue" - 1999
And that again had reminded me of a film about the life of a violin: "The Red Violin" - 1998
All these stories go over centuries and we get to know the owners or, in this case, inhabitants of the house. Here, we see all kinds of different people (or, in one case, even an animal) live in the house in the woods. For a long time, they grow the best apples that ever exist. How would I have loved to taste one of those Wonder apples.
In any case, I can highly recommend this novel.
The book received the JCO Award in 2020. I had not heard about this prize even though I am a huge Joyce Carol Oates fan. They have given out awards since 2017. I might have to read more of the winners.
Book Description:
"When two young lovers abscond from a Puritan colony, little do they know that their humble cabin in the woods will become the home of an extraordinary succession of human and nonhuman characters alike. An English soldier, destined for glory, abandons the battlefields of the New World to devote himself to growing apples. A pair of spinster twins navigate war and famine, envy and desire. A crime reporter unearths an ancient mass grave—only to discover that the earth refuse to give up their secrets. A lovelorn painter, a sinister con man, a stalking panther, a lusty beetle: As the inhabitants confront the wonder and mystery around them, they begin to realize that the dark, raucous, beautiful past is very much alive.
This magisterial and highly inventive novel from Pulitzer Prize finalist Daniel Mason brims with love and madness, humor and hope. Following the cycles of history, nature, and even language, North Woods shows the myriad, magical ways in which we’re connected to our environment, to history, and to one another. It is not just an unforgettable novel about secrets and destinies, but a way of looking at the world that asks the timeless question: How do we live on, even after we’re gone?"
No comments:
Post a Comment