Wow. This Pulitzer Prize finalist book will knock your sock off. I went into it with no knowledge at all regarding the plot. I just knew everyone was talking about it. And for good reason. Unique storyline, incredibly well thoughout and beautiful writing. Here is my book review Northwoods by Daniel Mason.

Generational

Authors often use a generational history to develop a plot, but Mason takes it to another level. Instead of following a family line, Northwoods follows the line of a piece of property. The story opens with two young lovers escaping into the woods from their strict Puritan colony in New World Massachusettes. These two lovers would begin a dazzling legacy born of tiny cabin in the woods.

Life After Life

Is there life after life? Through the generations of the property in the woods, a parade of characters will live, die and live again. Each one tied to the property as it changes through the centuries. Mason’s writing creates such deep and “alive” characters whose experiences both before and after death bring a rich and rewarding melody to the flow of Northwoods. You feel deeply for each, as they toil and dream, create and condemn, love and grieve.

Nature

Woven into this beautifully written novel is the evolution of nature through the generations. Wonderous new strains of apples give way to forests of chestnuts before blights and pests and changing weather patterns take it all down. Watching all these change are those who have loved the land for eternity; wildlife, artists, poets, farmers, natives and sisters. Each with a special painful yearning they hope to fill.

Book Review Northwoods by Daniel Mason

It’s such a joy to find a book that has not been written before. So many novels are a new twist on an old story. Northwoods is fresh, brillilant, captivating and extraordinary, using poetry, letters, and even speeches to propel the reader through the generations. A rare book. A must read.

*****Five stars for Northwoods by Daniel Mason. Thank you for reading my Book Review Northwood by Daniel Mason. See last week’s book review James by Percival Everett here.

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