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A review by justinm
A Far Country by Daniel Mason
4.0
To put it mildly, I did not like Daniel Mason's first novel The Piano Tuner. When I heard he had another novel on the shelves, I had to find out how he could have persuaded the people at Picador to publish it. This one is about a girl named Isabel and her brother Isaias. They live with their parents in a farming village called St. Michael. There is a harsh drought, and the people of the village are struggling to survive. Isaias' dream is to go to the city and make money playing the fiddle. Isabel, who adores her brother very much, has to stay behind. At least for a little while.
On his second attempt, Mason manages to come up with the goods. It's still every bit as slow, low on action, and melancholic as The Piano Tuner, but this novel has a much better storyline, one I managed to read without skimming over pages to get to the end.
On his second attempt, Mason manages to come up with the goods. It's still every bit as slow, low on action, and melancholic as The Piano Tuner, but this novel has a much better storyline, one I managed to read without skimming over pages to get to the end.