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North Woods: A Novel

NATIONAL BESTSELLER - A NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW TOP TEN BOOK OF THE YEAR

A WASHINGTON POST TOP TEN BOOK OF THE YEAR - FINALIST FOR THE NATIONAL BOOK CRITICS CIRCLE AWARD AND THE MARK TWAIN AMERICAN VOICE IN LITERATURE AWARD

A sweeping novel about a single house in the woods of New England, told through the lives of those who inhabit it across the centuries--"a time-spanning, genre-blurring work of storytelling magic" (The Washington Post) from the Pulitzer Prize finalist and author of The Piano Tuner and The Winter Soldier.

"With the expansiveness and immersive feeling of two-time Booker Prize nominee David Mitchell's fiction (Cloud Atlas), the wicked creepiness of Edgar Allan Poe, and Mason's bone-deep knowledge of and appreciation for the natural world that's on par with that of Thoreau, North Woods fires on all cylinders."--San Francisco Chronicle

New York Times Book Review Editors' Choice - A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: Time, The Boston Globe, NPR, Chicago Public Library, The Star Tribune, The Economist, The Christian Science Monitor, Real Simple, Kirkus Reviews, Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, Bookreporter

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?

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400 pages

Average rating: 7.66

306 RATINGS

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12 REVIEWS

Community Reviews

Sumnat
Nov 14, 2024
10/10 stars
I really enjoyed this book! It was a journey through time and exploration of the different lives that occurred in one place.
evergreenWinnie
Sep 17, 2024
10/10 stars
I loved this book and read it twice through. The multilayered and metaphorical narrative really drove hard at how long we have been interfering with the planet, resulting in climate catastrophe. I was particularly intrigued by the biblical allegories.
Pappas
Sep 17, 2024
9/10 stars
This book is incredible. It is creatively crafted and beautifully told. I can see why the author is a Pulitzer winner. The reader follows the place as the characters move through it, so the place becomes a character. The visitors to this place are varied, interesting to read about, and well-developed. I also enjoyed how echoes of the past continue to inform the present. It was a delight to read, and I was sad when it ended. FWIW our entire book club loved it.
gkellogg
Aug 13, 2024
10/10 stars
Beautifully written (and read); this is an interesting exploration of people, time, and place. I love the fact that there is a metaphysical aspect to the story and that characters and events echo through the ages.
QuiltingPat
Jul 26, 2024
6/10 stars
Personally, I enjoyed the book. The setting was a major character and I found that interesting. It was difficult to connect the characters at times.

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