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heidisreads's review against another edition
4.0
I loved this book. It was well-balanced with rich characters, smart writing, a story I thought about when I wasn't reading and a setting I wished I could visit.
yosemite_spins's review against another edition
2.0
I thought I was going to like this book, the description of the redwoods and the actual main plots in this book seemed well done, immersive. But, foreshadowing, the author did seem desperate to kill someone the entire book - so why not ruin the end of the book? We spent all that time with the 24-7 plot point for that to be wrapped up in the laziest way possible. Oh, but yes let's try to repair this and make the book seem somewhat meaningful by killing someone off in a freak accident. Whatever, seems like she needed to end the book so that is that.
ilovestory's review against another edition
5.0
Beautifully written, it was easy to fall in love with (or learn to hate) the characters. The love story between Rich and Colleen, their little boy Chub and his sweetness, the relationship between Lark and Rich and Lark and Marsha -- I felt I was in the middle of their story, they were made real to me. I also felt the tug between preserving nature and preserving a way of life that is little understood outside of a small circle who live it. I didn't love the ending, but finished the book in a day because did not want to put it down.
barbaraskalberg's review against another edition
3.0
3.5
Slow start, but great story. Frustrating... nothing has changed. In the 1970s they were saying, "But the government says it's safe, so it must be."
Slow start, but great story. Frustrating... nothing has changed. In the 1970s they were saying, "But the government says it's safe, so it must be."
jessa22's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-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
5.0
ashleylchen's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 stars! Bought this book on a whim since the synopsis sounded interesting and I enjoy reading historical fiction.
It was pretty hard to get into since there was a lot of technical logging jargon which I didn’t really like but it did set the tone of the story. I see a lot of review share this thought but I don’t know how else the author would have been able to show not tell what it’s like to be a logger (the dangers, what they do at work each day, what makes the process so intense, the role each person plays in the process, the comroiderie aspect, etc). It was also pretty complicated with so many characters — a town map / family tree would’ve been really helpful
It was pretty hard to get into since there was a lot of technical logging jargon which I didn’t really like but it did set the tone of the story. I see a lot of review share this thought but I don’t know how else the author would have been able to show not tell what it’s like to be a logger (the dangers, what they do at work each day, what makes the process so intense, the role each person plays in the process, the comroiderie aspect, etc). It was also pretty complicated with so many characters — a town map / family tree would’ve been really helpful
lumdring's review against another edition
dark
informative
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
libbyraebelle's review against another edition
5.0
A truly beautiful story, unique subject matter, gorgeous descriptive writing that transports the reader to 1970s rural northern California. My dad was a "tree guy" for 30 years - line clearance, not logging - very different, but it still made the tree-work scenes meaningful and fascinating for me.
It took me 100 pages to get used to one quirk of the writing, which is that the narrative would jump rapidly from line to line (i.e. in one line, two characters would be together in car, in the next sentence they'd be in their kitchen, maybe hours later - I's often think "wait, weren't we just..." and go back to be sure that I hadn't missed anything). Characters also talk about other characters without you first learning who those folks are - sort of like if you were overhearing a conversation in a small-town where you're an outsider (which we are). Once I got used to these methods though, and instead put myself in the mindset of being an insider instead, I found these conventions added to the story - these characters are all people who have known each other and each other's families/histories for decades. The writing assumes the reader is either an outsider, and therefore deserves no further explanations, or is in on this knowledge too, and therefore doesn't require further explanation. The writing reveals information in a conversationally-appropriate way, rather than with narration that takes you out of the story itself. It's difficult for me to accurately explain what I mean here, I'm not a writer, but if you read it, you'll understand what I'm talking about. The reader feels part of the community, truly living within these people's experiences as we switch POV between the 3 main characters.
Small gripe - I wish we had had Daniel's narrative POV as well, to give us more insight into his goals/experiences/emotions about being back in his hometown, fighting an uphill battle.
It took me 100 pages to get used to one quirk of the writing, which is that the narrative would jump rapidly from line to line (i.e. in one line, two characters would be together in car, in the next sentence they'd be in their kitchen, maybe hours later - I's often think "wait, weren't we just..." and go back to be sure that I hadn't missed anything). Characters also talk about other characters without you first learning who those folks are - sort of like if you were overhearing a conversation in a small-town where you're an outsider (which we are). Once I got used to these methods though, and instead put myself in the mindset of being an insider instead, I found these conventions added to the story - these characters are all people who have known each other and each other's families/histories for decades. The writing assumes the reader is either an outsider, and therefore deserves no further explanations, or is in on this knowledge too, and therefore doesn't require further explanation. The writing reveals information in a conversationally-appropriate way, rather than with narration that takes you out of the story itself. It's difficult for me to accurately explain what I mean here, I'm not a writer, but if you read it, you'll understand what I'm talking about. The reader feels part of the community, truly living within these people's experiences as we switch POV between the 3 main characters.
Small gripe - I wish we had had Daniel's narrative POV as well, to give us more insight into his goals/experiences/emotions about being back in his hometown, fighting an uphill battle.
hoppymelissa's review against another edition
5.0
Loved the story and the characters. And what gorgeous cover art!
lauren_r's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75