North Woods

I read North Woods by Daniel Mason for book club. The book description says, "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 was a unique read. I listened to a lot of it on audiobook and then switched over to the paper book for the last quarter or so when I finally had time to sit down and read. I thought it was a creative premise -- following one house and all the different people who live there over the years. There were a few disturbing stories/characters (especially Mary), and there was a kind of an interesting ending to the book. I found the book hard to follow at times since sometimes there were connections between residents and sometimes not, and I felt like I was losing track of things sometimes. I think this will be an interesting book to discuss at book club (especially the stories with Alice/Mary and Robert), though it wasn't really one I thoroughly enjoyed.

Rating: * (1/3 = It was okay)