Reviews

Daniel Mason's collection of intertwined stories is both uplifting and solemn at the same time. It is a testament to the human spirit, connections between the past and present, and the unwavering strength of nature running through it all.

There's a bit of a fever dream feeling to this novel, wherein the reader drifts from story to story, but I personally found it impossible to look away. It made me want to travel to New England and find this apple orchard and explore it for myself. To feel the connection to the people and the land.

An absolutely beautiful book, the language is lyrical and descriptive, but manages to avoid the dreaded purple prose which usually has me skimming pages and racing through sections. It is truly captivating, and I have absolute faith in the rumblings that this could very well be this years Pulitzer Prize winner.

My deepest appreciation to Daniel Mason, Random House Publishing, and NetGalley for the digital review copy. All opinions included herein are my own.

jeffcarlson96's review

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5.0

Making a physical place a main character in a story is one of my favorite things, and Mason does this beautifully. This is essentially a collection of short stories across centuries with loose connections to each other. It speaks to how short life is, but also of the power of place, nature, and community. Almost garden of Eden vibes. If you read it, would love to hear takes on the ending, which I found fascinating.