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kangaruthie's review against another edition
4.0
This book takes place in the 70s and follows a logging community in Northern California. The main tension is between the families who rely on logging for a living and the new environmentalist movement pushing against the industry. I thought the author did a good job portraying the nuances of characters’ motivations and fears on both sides of the aisle. The writing was very dense - the prose was often richly descriptive and beautiful, but it was sometimes hard to understand what exactly was going on in the plot. I also had a difficult time keeping track of all of the characters. I didn’t love the ending and the book overall felt too long, but it still had some interesting perspective to offer.
jenmooremo's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
elizj____'s review against another edition
4.0
i was feeling a little jaded about my Book of the Month backlist, and have plowed through some real stinkers trying to cut that stack down. This one was a pleasant surprise! Way better writing than I’ve been used to from BOTM authors lately. A super compelling story with high stakes and relatable characters.
flowergrrl's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
This was a slow read, which could be an internal me problem—I'm not sure that the text was especially dense. But by the end, I was won over by the book's thoughtful rendering of a complex set of personalities. This book made me rethink my environmental tenets, which is no faint praise!
shirleytupperfreeman's review against another edition
This is the story of a late 70s, California logging community told through the eyes of Rich, his wife Colleen and their 5 year old son, Chubb. Most of the men in the community have never known any employment except logging - primarily redwood logging. The logging company has changed hands and developed some questionable tactics including some new aerial spraying. Colleen is an unofficial mid-wife and the number of miscarriages and birth defects in the community seems to be rising. Colleen herself has suffered a number of miscarriages though she desperately wants another child. The loggers want to keep logging, the government wants to develop park land, environmental groups want the herbiscide spraying to stop and all the parties involved have their secret motivations. The conflict invades Rich and Colleen's little family as well as the larger community. It took me a few chapters but I did begin to care about the characters and the outcome of the conflict.
tabiloo's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Miscarriage and Abortion
Minor: Death
chloe_truxton's review against another edition
5.0
This may be the best book I've read all year! I would not be surprised to see this win BOTY. I loved the description and the way details were dropped in - even if it meant I was a little disoriented at times. I think there's a difference between feeling lost due to continuity vs new terminology. In which case, I wasn't as bothered as some other reviewers were by the logging terms. Overall, absolutely a wonderful read well worth the higher page count. I will be looking for more from Ash Davidson!
kjordan96's review against another edition
4.0
4/5 - This book allowed me to see an environmental issue (deforestation, spray of harmful chemicals, etc.) through the eyes of the community it impacts. This personal slant to the problem made it much more intriguing, especially given that there was no one right answer - the community would experience a form of harm either way. I enjoyed reading through the eyes of both Rich and Colleen as they moved through their struggles. Things I did not enjoy about the book: I found the description of the logging to be somewhat tedious at parts, I found it difficult to get straight all of the auxiliary characters in the community, and the ending (still conflicted on this one). Overall a decent read, but do not think I would reread.
juhlig's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Salient topic, and characters you root for and against. I didn’t always love the style of the prose, certain chapters felt too brief, but that didn’t detract from me enjoying them.
jackie_shimkus's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0