Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Woah... This book has simply blown me away and I loved it more than I expected to! I was anticipating more of a traditional (and even lighthearted!) story about a little house in the woods in northeast USA and the cast of characters that inhabit it over the years.

This book was much darker than I initially thought, fully embracing the cycles of death, decay, and change that come with time (centuries in this book) in both nature and the man-made focal structure of the house. This really emphasizes the fact that nobody can escape nature and the march of time and death in the end, not even something like a house- which I don't normally see as part of the natural world and its cycles.

Some might find this book quite sad, as the characters inhabiting the house over the years struggle with various and quite realistic issues such as psychological illness, loneliness, violence, etc. I found this made the book so much more real and beautiful to me, and the overall perspective of the reader as the years go by makes you see how small each person's struggles were in the grand scheme of things. He also writes about non-human inhabitants of the house, such as a pair of mating beetles and a mountain lion, which again make you remember that the place of humans in the world is the same as every other creature.

I also adored the nature writing in this book! It was so incredibly well researched and sometimes I felt like I was forgetting I was reading a fictional story. The author details so clearly how the northern forests would have looked hundreds of years ago and their changes over time (the silence of the loss of the birds like the great flocks of passenger pigeons; the slow, creeping decimation of the forest due to chestnut blight/Dutch elm disease/ash borer beetles; the extirpation of big game and mountain lions; the coming of roads and felling of trees for human infrastructure; the changing climate, etc... You really feel all this loss with your whole heart. The enormity of it all- "a thousand angels on a blade of grass."

The author so perfectly intertwines this story of the loss of the natural world with the loss of each generation of characters. It seems as soon as you get to know the next inhabitant of the house, time marches on and they are dead, too, along with all they built in the house and the meaning they took from the place. I ADORED how he then used some magical realism to bring the ghosts of not only the human inhabitants of the house back to life, but also those from the natural world (ex: a stuffed panther from the 1800s comes back to life and kills a man in the late 1900s)! The human and natural ghosts of the past welcome each new inhabitant into death in such a beautiful way.

Overall, this book was a beautiful and haunting story about the cycle of life and death, and a reminder that all things will be destroyed and yet all still leave an imprint in the world.

"...she has found that the only way to understand the world as something other than a tale of loss is to see it as a tale of change."

PS. I recently got The Winter Soldier by this author without even knowing it was the same author! Can't even tell you how excited I am to read it now.

Unfortunately I was unable to download this book before the archive date, so I'm not able to leave a review. I look forward to reading and reviewing books by this author in the future.

North Woods starts out a bit shaky, thrusting the reader into a variety of settings and characters within the first few pages. Soon after that, however, a heart wrenching story of twin sisters marks this as a novel to read and treasure. Daniel Mao son is a gifted and inventive writer, and throughout this long book (which reads quickly), he repeatedly succeeds in engaging the reader in this multi-generational and unique story of a particular house in the woods of Western Massachusetts. Highly recommended.

1.5 stars. This book was a huge disappointment given the praise and recognition it received. The premise of the novel was unique and interesting: following a house/plot of land in rural Massachusetts over the course of centuries. As such, it was a series of mini stories at different snapshots in time, focusing on who was inhabiting the house during these points.

I gave half a star due to my appreciation of the descriptive nature setting. Unfortunately, that alone is insufficient to carry a book when there is limited character development and the plot just jumps from one point to the next as a series of non sequiturs. Many of the time jumps are quite jarring, as there were no conclusions to the prior stories.

Overall, the author's writing resulted in a novel that came across as pretentious. It was as though we plebeians are supposed to be so astonished by his flowery prose that we are blind to the weaknesses in the rest of the book. However, if you are a fan of Ann Patchett, whose books I also detest, then this one's for you!

Absolutely gorgeous. I fell in love with the house and all those who passed through its doors. What an interesting and moving approach to historical fiction!

North Woods by Daniel Mason (Thank you @atrandombooks @netgalley for the #gifted eARC)

The premise is simple: a story centered around one house and its various inhabitants over the years surrounded by an orchard producing what may be the best tasting apple to ever exist. But this novel is anything but simple. It is brilliant and beautiful and I’m sure I just scratched the surface of the depths it contains.

It has been a while since I read a novel that offers such a deep exploration of the human experience, has a unique structure that engages the mind in a way that is on par with the best books I’ve read, and is also a page turner. Mason’s novel paints an incredible picture of how the unseen from the past leaves a mark on the present and the future. There are the spirits of those that came before us and the things that unknowingly, and often irreparably, impact our existence. I love how Mason demonstrates the movement of things we are not conscious of yet impact the people and places they touch. I think about this often as it relates to disease transmission/spread, but Mason’s visual descriptions of how things move are beautiful and a reminder that things unseen can create serious, permanent impacts and also be magical.

The writing is stunning. Mason is able to switch between narrative voices in a way that is thoroughly convincing and includes a depth of emotion that left me extremely moved (often to tears). The structure and use of images adds another layer of depth. The way Mason writes these characters, especially their angst, allowed me to feel it in such a profound way: the passage of time, the forbidden fruit, indiscretions, pain, the transitory existence of nature and humans that preceded us and will continue long past our existence. There is more here but the bottom line is I love it and you should read it now if you haven’t yet.

I didn’t get to the eARC before pub day but I’m glad I purchased a finished copy because carrying around/reading this beautiful book added to the joy of the experience. The only thing I dislike is that it didn’t come with one of those apples. And a calendar.

This book is perfect for anyone who finds comfort and home in the natural world. I appreciated all the characters, and I found the way the universe was built to be compelling. Although the story is based in reality, there is a magical feel to place and scene. The writing was descriptive and accessible. I find myself often recommending this book to men who don't really consider themselves readers. That's what I mean by saying the writing is accessible. It does have a literary fiction feel, but I haven't come across a lit fic book in a long while that has this much broad appeal.

Lovely writing and several compelling sequential narratives are enough to make sure I keep an eye out for Mason's next novel. This is more than a simple list of things that happened all in one spot over the years; connections linger and legacies continue to echo as time passes. A great concept expertly handled.

Daniel Mason's North Woods is a masterful exploration of the human experience, spanning centuries and generations. Set in the heart of New England, the novel follows a succession of characters who inhabit a single house, each leaving their mark on its history. It is reminiscent of other books in which the house is a character, like The Dutch House or The Lake House (though thematically different).

Mason's evocative prose brings the natural world to life, capturing the beauty and the brutality of the wilderness. The characters are complex and compelling, each with their own unique struggles and triumphs.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for sharing this book with me.

North Woods, Daniel Mason, assistant professor of psychiatry, Stanford University; Random House.
A cabin and its surrounding forest bear witness to centuries of change, catalyzed by those who pass through.

This book is a series of linked stories about the inhabitants of a house or the land where it is located in Massaschuttes over the course of time--basically from Puritan times forward. Some of the stories are stronger than others but they all come together in the end. I found it slow in the beginning but it grew on me.

After three attempts to gain purchase, this reader was unable to gain any footing. Having read the publisher’s summary and many positive reviews, it still felt like I jumped into a fast-moving, multi time frame story with no anchor. I read that the book’s central character is a home which is occupied over time by each character, or group of characters. The chapters I read were lushly written, descriptive, and even poetic. I’m disappointed that I was unable to enjoy the story as the author intended. It just wasn’t my bag.

I really enjoyed this story that centred on such a unique piece of land and the history that happened around it. I actually ended up listening to the digital audiobook and it was a fantastic listen. I'll be adding this title to our Book Club collection.

An absolutely captivating novel that I thoroughly enjoyed. Mason’s approach to the multi-generational novel is both innovative and deeply engaging, offering readers a fresh perspective that is both fascinating and memorable.

Instead of focusing on a single family, Mason takes us on a journey through several centuries by centering the story around a property. This unique approach allows us to witness the evolution of a single location over time, providing a rich and intricate tapestry of human experiences and interactions. It’s a compelling way to explore the passage of time and the ways in which different lives intersect and intertwine.

The novel’s strength lies in how the lives of the inhabitants of the houses on the property seem to touch each other, creating a complex and beautifully interwoven narrative. This sense of connection adds depth to the story, making each character’s experiences feel like part of a larger, cohesive whole.

The inclusion of ghosts as a thematic element adds a delightful touch of mystique and wonder to the narrative. It enhances the novel’s atmosphere, providing a hauntingly beautiful backdrop that complements the historical and emotional richness of the story.

North Woods is a beautifully crafted novel that offers a fresh take on the multi-generational genre. Daniel Mason has created a story that is both intriguing and immersive, with a narrative that spans centuries and connects lives in ways that are both touching and profound. It’s a book that I loved from beginning to end and one that I highly recommend to anyone looking for a unique and enchanting read.

Nothing will make me want to read a book more than something as original as the story from a house’s perspective throughout decades. The people and creatures that inhabit this house and their experiences that’re cleverly linked. We meet the first to live there, two runaway Puritans, around 400 years ago through time we’re introduced to some of the most fascinating characters (two spinster sisters, a ghost, a true crime writer, an angry wildcat, and a beetle are just a few).

But it’s not just the story, it’s also the writing. Mason has a beautiful way with words that would make me incredibly envious if I wasn’t so enamoured. Through his undeniable talent, he was able to display the interconnectedness of us, nature, those before us, and those after us. And through every new character we got to spend time with, their own story, it never felt repetitive. They all had their individual and unique voice, with a clear definition between them and the others.

I had high hopes for this which usually doesn’t work out for me, but this one was a wonderful experience right from page one. Before North Woods, I had never read anything from Daniel Mason before, but now I can’t wait to dive into the rest of his work.

If you have every stared at an old building and wondered what has happened in this space over time, this is the book for you. This one of the most unique books I have ever read. It starts with a couple in the very early beginnings of European colonization of what will become the United States of America. They run away to be with each other into the north woods of new england (eventually western Massachusetts) and from there the story stays geographically as the time continues forward to our 20th century. It is small vignettes of families that find their way to this small geographic spot with integrated song lyrics, poems and folklore that can develop from said stories. I really enjoyed how the author woves these stories together and the writing perfectly placed you in the scene and mode of each short story. Some end positively, some badly just like the realities of real life. I very much enjoyed this book and will be recommending it others.

This is the story of land that endures changes over many years. Instead of a story that focuses on people on their changes over time, this is a story of the continuity and steadfastness of the land and the forces of nature that persist. It’s also a story of how we take nature for granted at our peril. The prose is beautiful. Through the experiences of the people that inhabit the land, we get an evocative sense of the seasons and elements, the insects and animals that call the land home. One character suffers a stubborn depression that only responds to being around trees. The woods are said to ‘de-hat’ another character that crosses their border, inviting him to shed the trappings of civilization upon entering. The woods that were home to wild catamount are replaced by “Catamount Acres” where one can purchase a 3 bed, 2 bath home. We name what we have eliminated. It’s not a replacement. Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for an egalley in exchange for an honest review.

It's not exactly a year-round read, and because many of the book’s chapters describe harsh winters, it's a great winter read! North Woods by Daniel Mason is a novel about a single house in the woods of New England, told through the lives of those who inhabit it across the centuries. Some chapters are easier to read than others, and the graphic of this mountain lion with all sorts of silly poses made the rounds in some of my Bookstagrammer chats and we all want a poster of the cover art! Some of my friends think this book is 100% perfection in every way!

Describing the storyline of Daniel Mason’s NORTH WOODS — here goes: the happenings that occur within a New England forest over the course of 400 years — hardly does justice to the magic and mystery that emerges throughout this utterly original novel. Mixing narrative forms, from traditional 3rd person narration to 18th century song lyrics to speeches to letters written by a painter of the Hudson Valley School to a doctor’s case notes on a schizophrenic, and capturing modes of language appropriate to the corresponding time period, author Mason has crafted an always surprising account of the beings — both human and animal, natural and supernatural — that experience the North Woods and the yellow house built there long ago, from two lovers fleeing into the woods to escape the societal constraints of the Puritans to the graduate ecology student in modern day who crashes her car at the edge of the forest. Desire, betrayal, escape and the harsh beauty of the natural world are some of the big ideas here but in the end, it is our reluctance to see and understand the essential truth of living that becomes the novel’s central conflict. “The only way to understand the world as something other than a tale of loss,” Mason writes, “is to see it as a tale of change.” Filled with gorgeous prose, this one is a dazzler.

Read If You Like: Richard Powers (THE OVERSTORY), Barbara Kingsolver (UNSHELTERED), Anthony Doerr (CLOUD CUCKOO LAND)

I loved the premise of this one, but the writing style just wasn't for me. I can definitely see the appeal of this book for other readers but it just wasn't my preference. More character driven novels are hit or miss for me.