North Woods: A Novel

9. February 2025 Off By Pietwien


Price: $15.99
(as of Feb 09, 2025 10:37:27 UTC – Details)



NATIONAL BESTSELLER • A NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW TOP TEN BOOK OF THE YEAR

A WASHINGTON POST TOP TEN BOOK OF THE YEAR • FINALIST FOR THE NATIONAL BOOK CRITICS CIRCLE AWARD AND THE MARK TWAIN AMERICAN VOICE IN LITERATURE AWARD

A sweeping novel about a single house in the woods of New England, told through the lives of those who inhabit it across the centuries—“a time-spanning, genre-blurring work of storytelling magic” (The Washington Post) from the Pulitzer Prize finalist and author of The Piano Tuner and The Winter Soldier.

“With the expansiveness and immersive feeling of two-time Booker Prize nominee David Mitchell’s fiction (Cloud Atlas), the wicked creepiness of Edgar Allan Poe, and Mason’s bone-deep knowledge of and appreciation for the natural world that’s on par with that of Thoreau, North Woods fires on all cylinders.”—San Francisco Chronicle

New York Times Book Review Editors’ Choice • A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: Time, The Boston Globe, NPR, Chicago Public Library, The Star Tribune, The Economist, The Christian Science Monitor, Real Simple, Kirkus Reviews, Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, Bookreporter

When two young lovers abscond from a Puritan colony, little do they know that their humble cabin in the woods will become the home of an extraordinary succession of human and nonhuman characters alike. An English soldier, destined for glory, abandons the battlefields of the New World to devote himself to growing apples. A pair of spinster twins navigate war and famine, envy and desire. A crime reporter unearths an ancient mass grave—only to discover that the earth refuse to give up their secrets. A lovelorn painter, a sinister con man, a stalking panther, a lusty beetle: As the inhabitants confront the wonder and mystery around them, they begin to realize that the dark, raucous, beautiful past is very much alive.

This magisterial and highly inventive novel from Pulitzer Prize finalist Daniel Mason brims with love and madness, humor and hope. Following the cycles of history, nature, and even language, North Woods shows the myriad, magical ways in which we’re connected to our environment, to history, and to one another. It is not just an unforgettable novel about secrets and destinies, but a way of looking at the world that asks the timeless question: How do we live on, even after we’re gone?

From the Publisher

The San Francisco Chronicle compares the book to David Mitchell, Edgar Allan Poe, and ThoreauThe San Francisco Chronicle compares the book to David Mitchell, Edgar Allan Poe, and Thoreau

Abraham Verghese calls it an original and spellbinding novelAbraham Verghese calls it an original and spellbinding novel

Named a Best Book of the Year by multiple publicationsNamed a Best Book of the Year by multiple publications

Maggie O’Farrell calls it a monumental achievementMaggie O’Farrell calls it a monumental achievement

The Guardian says To read it is to travel to the limits of what the novel can doThe Guardian says To read it is to travel to the limits of what the novel can do

The Washington Post calls it a time-spanning, genre-blurring workThe Washington Post calls it a time-spanning, genre-blurring work

NPR says it channels Hawthorne, Thoreau, Richard Powers, and George SaundersNPR says it channels Hawthorne, Thoreau, Richard Powers, and George Saunders

All homes have histories. This one has more than most.All homes have histories. This one has more than most.

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Random House (September 19, 2023)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 384 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0593597036
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0593597033
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.48 x 1.29 x 9.42 inches

Customers say

Customers find the book engaging and well-crafted. They describe the stories as vivid, enchanting, and thought-provoking. Readers praise the writing quality as beautiful and skillful. The history is described as insightful and informative. The visual quality is appreciated, with good imagery and natural detail. However, opinions differ on the character development.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews