Jessica

This was a tough book to slog through. None of my favorite characters were present, and I could really care less about the Iron Islanders and most of what happens in Dorne. I also didn't appreciate that nearly every other chapter was Cersei, who I think is my most hated literary character ever. Looking forward to returning to Jon and Daenerys in book 5.

I think I have to give up on this one. Nearly 100 pages in, and I still don't care about the main characters (nor can I keep their attributes straight). In fact, several of the characters are downright loathsome. I usually love Chabon, but this one isn't gripping me. It's also hard to follow. He'll start a sentence, then add some tangent that goes on for nearly a paragraph before coming back to the main point.

A lovely novel that is part fairy tale, part wilderness survival adventure, part love story, part nature guide. My favorite passage comes very early on:

“All her life she had believed in something more, in the mystery that shape-shifted at the edge of her senses. It was the flutter of moth wings on glass and the promise of river nymphs in the dappled creek beds. It was the smell of oak trees on the summer evening she fell in love, and the way dawn threw itself across the cow pond and turned the water to light.” (page 5)

Anyone who feels the same way as Mabel will enjoy this novel.

I really wanted to love this book, because I love the Decemberists and Colin's beautiful lyrics. And while I completely appreciate the overall message of the book (stewardship of the Earth, not being able to escape the consequences of your own actions, how those actions can have ripple effects on the world around you, the heartbreak in imposing our own moral order on an indifferent universe), I just couldn't quite attach to the characters and the story fell flat for me. I also had a hard time suspending my disbelief throughout most of the tale, which is not usually a problem at all for me!

Loved this just as much as her previous two memoirs, even though her descriptions about aging make me think it might already be too late for me to start my own farm. :) Catherine's warmth and wit draw you into each short chapter–I laughed out loud frequently and already want more.