Book Reviews
By Tari Hendrickson, Reviewer
North Woods by Daniel Mason. The best historical novels, though they may be rooted in reality, are a combination of escapism and enrichment. Through works of fiction, readers learn about events that have shaped our world and imagine (or reimagine) the people who lived through them.
The home and property that sit for over three centuries at the center of North Woods, somewhere in New England, are by turns filled with youthful exuberance, madness, and hope. Author Daniel Mason incorporates various writing styles according to the character and time. This may challenge you as it did me. An orchardist, an artist, a soothsayer, and a person with schizophrenia are a few of the characters who come to life in these pages.
You’ll marvel at the incredible descriptions of nature. The writing is beautiful and inspiring. What’s more, Mason proves to have a sparkling sense of humor in unexpected moments.
Lincoln City Libraries has 74 copies of this book, also available electronically.
How to Know a Person: The Art of Seeing Others Deeply and Being Deeply Seen by David Brooks. This nonfiction book focuses on increasing empathy and finding ways for more genuine human connection. Brooks’ aim is to create pathways for more meaningful relationships. The longtime columnist and commentator invites us to focus on listening well and responding thoughtfully.
“There is one skill that lies at the heart of any healthy person, family, school, community organization, or society: the ability to see someone else deeply and make them feel seen — to accurately know another person, to let them feel valued, heard, and understood.”
There are skills and wisdom to plumb here for anyone interested in becoming a more effective and caring human. This one now has a place on my desk within reach.
Lincoln City Libraries has 14 copies of this book, also available electronically.
The River We Remember by William Kent Krueger. “Our lives and the lives of those we love merge to create a river whose current carries us forward from our beginning to our end. Because we are only one part of the whole, the river each of us remembers is different, and there are many versions of the stories we tell about the past. In all of them there is truth, and in all of them a good deal of innocent misremembering.”
While this is not a murder mystery book, a murder is solved. Set in rural Minnesota in 1958, we are introduced to several memorable characters in the fictional small town of Jewell. Krueger masterfully shares details about his characters, and they come to life. Readers learn how, in myriad ways, WW II has adversely affected several lives in town. We glean bits of wisdom, secrets, and plot twists.
Is it a social commentary on small town life? Bias, emotional wounds, and healing come into play as this story unwinds. The epilogue may bring tears of relief and happiness.
Lincoln City Libraries has 26 copies of this book, also available electronically.
Tari Hendrickson is a member of two book clubs, one of which she founded 21 years ago. She remembers the thrill when letters and words came together and made sense in First Grade.