4.0

Honestly loved this book, except for one small detail. First, what I loved: loved the descriptions of the Maine topography. I grew up just a little south of there, and drove through Albion just last summer. My mom, as well, was a camp counselor at the Pine Tree camp back in the early 60s. I loved the depiction of the people that populate this area of the world, and found it to be spot-on. I was fascinated by Chris Knight and what he did. And I loved how the book made me reflect on my own need (or lack thereof) for solitude. ****Slight spoiler, below***



But here's what I didn't like. Toward the end, Finkel offers to help Knight find employment, "quiet jobs like security guard or librarian" (p. 169). It bothered me, one, because being a librarian actually requires an advanced degree. Librarians, as well, aren't kicking back and reading novels on the job, and public libraries, nowadays, are the last place to seek quiet. Thinking about it more, I realized it bothered me much because of the fact that as an investigative journalist, Finkel, of all people, should know what librarians do. This little fumble actually made me doubt him as a narrator. And that's too bad.

Again, a small detail, but one that illustrates how important it is to believe in the narrator's voice to enjoy a work.