A review by kleonard
Damnation Spring by Ash Davidson

5.0

This is going to make a great movie. Through careful use of language and gesture, author Davidson creates life in a small logging settlement in the 1970s, from the loggers' terminology (there are a few too many references to "big pumpkins," though) to the danger of the business to how the industry affected the families of employees. As the protagonists slowly come to understand how harmful the industry is, they must also grapple with everyday life in a poor and underserved community. The beginning felt slow to me, and I had almost just written off Rich as an asshole and the writing as repetitive before I pushed myself to continue and found that all of the characters' development was being beautifully crafted within a dense network of relationships and histories. This isn't just a great read: it could also serve as a model writers to study.