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brontebaird's review
5.0
Alright, the last like, chapter got weird. But this is by far one of the most beautifully written books I have read in a long time. The writing, the language was beautiful as was the story. It was like reading about life, so relate-able and full of truths.
mrstein's review
4.0
what gorgeous writing. I see the Pulitzer Prize for sure. Stegner is mesmerizing in this story of an old man's grandparents, their lives in the 1890s and how they affected his own. While not exactly action packed - it took me a couple of tries to get into it, but in the final analysis it was worth it.
batcountry101's review against another edition
4.0
Took a while to finish. Every time i picked it up i enjoyed it, but when i put it down, it was easy to not pick it back up
Glad i stuck with it though
The final 100 pages is an absolute hammer blow
Glad i stuck with it though
The final 100 pages is an absolute hammer blow
allieta's review
4.0
A beautiful juxtaposition of mobility/immobility; fluidity/rigidity; wide expanses/restrictions.
jbeeson907's review
4.0
4.5/5.0 epic story of a family in the present and past with a fair amount of cultural criticism
heidengoseek's review
3.0
When I began reading this book, I really enjoyed it. I loved the generational story lines and the hope in a historical context. However, I began to be frustrated with the pattern of failure and disappointment, which the author took the time to acknowledge but did nothing about. I finished it, but it took a long time. And that tells me that it was ultimately a good book with flaws.
sachinka's review
1.0
Ok, I didn't technically read this book. I haven't made it past the first chapter. In reading part of the first chapter, I realized this is not the first time I've tried to read this book. Once again it has failed to hook me. Back to the library it goes.
kelliecart's review
5.0
I love a book that takes you on a physical as well as emotional journey! The number of transcontinental crossings, started with emotional goodbyes, stands in contrast today, where you can be in contact with anyone around the world with the push of a button. As a history buff, I love the story’s construct of a historian digging through his grandmother’s papers to reconstruct her life and in the building, tells a tale of the West with which I was not familiar.
The hardships they endured, the perseverance required and the community they needed to build to survive make for an interesting tale. Peeling back layers of his grandparents’ lives and marriage reveal complicated people made more complicated by their geography and the Victorian era in which the were living.
The hardships they endured, the perseverance required and the community they needed to build to survive make for an interesting tale. Peeling back layers of his grandparents’ lives and marriage reveal complicated people made more complicated by their geography and the Victorian era in which the were living.