Booked For Lunch
Fourth Monday of each month at noon - Next Meeting: November 24
This November, Booked for Lunch will be reading and discussing North Woods by Daniel Mason. The book was named 2023's "Best Book of the Year" by: Time, The Boston Globe, NPR, Chicago Public Library, Kirkus Reviews, Publishers Weekly, and the Library Journal among others.
North Woods is a multi-layered work of literary/historical fiction that follows the centuries-long story of a single house and the surrounding plot of land in Western Massachusetts. Instead of a linear plot, the novel unfolds through interconnected narratives, each in a different genre and literary style, linked by the persistent location.
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. 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 refuses to give up its 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.
The overall plot is less about the fate of individual characters and more about the interconnectedness of time, nature, and human experience. The house and the land act as a silent witness to the various lives that pass through. 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?
Regular and large-print copies are available now at the circulation desk. Digital editions are available for download using Libby. Join the discussion in person or online via Zoom, on Monday, November 24 at noon. Need the Zoom link? Register using our calendar or by email at RBrzozowski@cwmars.org.
Library Technician Robin Brzozowski, has been leading the discussions for several years, selecting diverse titles ranging from best sellers to local authors, classic works, and occasional non-fiction titles.
The group was launched in 2008 by former library Director Debra Blanchard and continues to offer intelligent, lively, thought provoking conversations in a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere.
