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North Woods
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?
These book club questions were provided courtesy of Penguin Random House.
Book club questions for North Woods by Daniel Mason
Use these discussion questions to guide your next book club meeting.
Which era of the yellow house would you mostlike to visit?
Which of its residents (permanent ortemporary) would you have liked to spend more time with?
Novels often follow the same charactersthrough different settings; North Woods follows the same setting through different characters.What was this reading experience like for you?
For some characters, the yellow house is a placeof refuge and inspiration, for others, an isolatedsite of captivity. Discuss how the house and itsremoteness affected its residents
Daniel Mason employs myriad points of view,writing styles, and genres to tell this storyacross the centuries. How did these shiftingvoices affect the narrative?
What is the significance of the catamount?
The best and worst of human behaviors and experiences are on display in North Woods: love, murder, betrayal, yearning, generosity, madness, envy. What did you make of this?
What role do the ghosts play throughout thenovel? Does this role change? Discuss
How does Mason bring the local flora and fauna into the novel? What did you make of beetles and spores and seeds sharing the stage with human characters?
Who do you imagine the first residents of your home were? Who do you imagine will come after you?
North Woods Book Club Questions PDF
Click here for a printable PDF of the North Woods discussion questions