Member Review

Maybe not for everyone, but for me this book was an acquired taste. I sipped the first few pages and wasn’t sure I was going to like it. But the strong writing kept me drinking. And I’m glad I read it all. It’s melodious, poetic, wildly creative, and masterfully executed.

The tale, which hinges on the inhabitants of a modest house in the New England woods, unfolds over the course of many years. It begins with Puritans and stretches to include an English soldier turned farmer, his twin daughters, a crime reporter, an artist, a con man, a student and even non-human inhabitants like a panther and a beetle.

Mason weaves magic into the ordinary as he examines the human heart. Insights into lust, envy, love, desire, fear, longing, and our connection to nature are fruits Mason helps the reader harvest. And he does it with gorgeous prose.

If the first pages put you off in any way, please hang in there and continue reading. It’s a thoughtful look at the mystery and ongoing journey of what it means to be human.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for allowing me to read an advanced copy.