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3.88 AVERAGE
3.88 AVERAGE
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
emotional
slow-paced
challenging
emotional
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infertility, Miscarriage, Car accident, Death of parent
Moderate: Animal death, Infidelity
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
informative
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book was so disappointing. As someone who lives in Humboldt and has so much reverence for the redwoods, I was expecting so much out of this novel.
It follows the story of a family who suffers many miscarriages that could be traced to some of the pesticides sprayed on the redwoods as part of the logging practices. The wife is an unregistered midwife and the husband is a logger and naturally when the government begins to investigate the logging practices and their potential impact on the health of the community, a schism begins to form in the family.
While the idea behind the story was great, the buildup was very long and drawn out. The ending honestly made no sense to me. It just felt like what was the point of this entire book? I know that sounds harsh, but it was that bad.
I also did not appreciate the author's constant use of the word "retarded" in conversation, and overall there was a lot of crassness thrown around in the book. I personally enjoy tasteful swearing very much in writing, so it takes a lot to gross me out, and this book definitely achieved that.
I did enjoy the familiar references to places I've been to, and the love of nature that is described in the book because as a Humboldt transplant, I definitely see that same passion in the natives of this wonderful area.
I was hoping to get a lot out of this book, but I honestly would not recommend reading it at all. It was very choppy writing and ultimately did not make sense at all.
It follows the story of a family who suffers many miscarriages that could be traced to some of the pesticides sprayed on the redwoods as part of the logging practices. The wife is an unregistered midwife and the husband is a logger and naturally when the government begins to investigate the logging practices and their potential impact on the health of the community, a schism begins to form in the family.
While the idea behind the story was great, the buildup was very long and drawn out. The ending honestly made no sense to me. It just felt like what was the point of this entire book? I know that sounds harsh, but it was that bad.
I also did not appreciate the author's constant use of the word "retarded" in conversation, and overall there was a lot of crassness thrown around in the book. I personally enjoy tasteful swearing very much in writing, so it takes a lot to gross me out, and this book definitely achieved that.
I did enjoy the familiar references to places I've been to, and the love of nature that is described in the book because as a Humboldt transplant, I definitely see that same passion in the natives of this wonderful area.
I was hoping to get a lot out of this book, but I honestly would not recommend reading it at all. It was very choppy writing and ultimately did not make sense at all.
challenging
informative
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Great story!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Miscarriage, Medical content
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Bullying, Gore, Hate crime, Violence, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, Abortion
Minor: Alcoholism, Animal death, Death, Physical abuse, Blood
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was a heavy book that hit HARD. I could not help but fall in love with the characters and was so excited to see where the story took their lives every time I picked up the book. While it was a difficult book to read in terms of length, density, and subject matter, I am so happy I finished and followed the lives of these main characters.
I was really looking forward to this debut novel - many interesting themes of right to work, the environment and the effects of herbicides on both people and nature, and a woman's rights. Set in the 1977 Damnation Spring tells the story of Rich and Colleen Gunderson and their son, Chub. Rich hails from a family of several generations of loggers, and dreams of buying a ridge to harvest some of the last Redwood trees in the area as a way to provide for his family. Colleen, Rich's wife, is struggling with her most recent pregnancy loss - one of many that she has suffered. As a midwife, she is also seeing alarming birth defects, frequent bloody noses, and more unexplained unnatural developments in local farms.
Rich makes a decision to purchase land to harvest trees without Colleen's knowledge - he is able to use their joint savings, and take a loan in his own name that affects their future as a family. Colleen meets up with a former high school love, who is now researching the water in Damnation Grove - testing for harmful herbicides and documenting birth defects and cancers. Their marriage, the town, and also local Native Americans begin to fracture with the knowledge that is gained about the Sanderson Logging Company's spraying practices.
Many of the characters, especially Eugene - Colleen's brother-in-law, were despicable. Many locals stubbornly focused on the economic effects of stopping logging, versus the long term effects of destroying the Redwoods and spraying the herbicides. It was difficult to see town's people ostracized and shunned for their belief in standing up to the lumber company. I did not enjoy a lot of these characters, even if I understood their motivations. A good book for book discussion - many topics to talk about.
Rich makes a decision to purchase land to harvest trees without Colleen's knowledge - he is able to use their joint savings, and take a loan in his own name that affects their future as a family. Colleen meets up with a former high school love, who is now researching the water in Damnation Grove - testing for harmful herbicides and documenting birth defects and cancers. Their marriage, the town, and also local Native Americans begin to fracture with the knowledge that is gained about the Sanderson Logging Company's spraying practices.
Many of the characters, especially Eugene - Colleen's brother-in-law, were despicable. Many locals stubbornly focused on the economic effects of stopping logging, versus the long term effects of destroying the Redwoods and spraying the herbicides. It was difficult to see town's people ostracized and shunned for their belief in standing up to the lumber company. I did not enjoy a lot of these characters, even if I understood their motivations. A good book for book discussion - many topics to talk about.