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There are currently 14 member reviews
for The Northern Reach
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Maggie R. (Canoga Park, CA)
Definitely 5 stars
It has been challenging to find books to read avidly as 2020 passed by. I have never started and put down so many promising titles. So The Northern Reach is a particular pleasure. It is both expansive and compact with generations of interlocked families clearly identified in a complete family tree at the beginning with smaller trees at the beginning of each time shift. The cast is large, but this technique is actually more useful than the x ray feature of some Kindle books. The setting and plot - such as it is - has been well described by others. My goal is to encourage those readers who are reluctant to dive into a multi-generational tome.
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Alison F. (Clearwater, FL)
Sweeping Family Saga
I thoroughly enjoyed this family saga set in coastal Maine. It reminded me of Louise Erdrich's Live Medicine in its scope and the interweaving of various families over many years. It also beautifully written and evokes a sense of place that makes this book even more exceptional. The chapters move about in time and they are tied together but it is better to consider them as short stories than to figure who is who. Finally, the stories lean toward dark and bleak but beautiful at the same time.
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Rose N. (Saginaw, MI)
A Town and Family in Maine
What a joy it is to look in on this Maine town, near the Northern Reach, and be introduced to one of its extended families. One can easily relate to the ups and downs, the happy times and the sad times, that each family member experiences. Winslow expertly creates a portrait of ordinary people in a way that reflects the foibles of life many of us know, sometimes endure, and often love.
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Linda J. (Urbana, OH)
Everybody's Family is a little bit...
This is the story of family interactions in a small town in Maine. Some are Catholic. Some are not. Some were born on the "right" side of the tracks. Some were not. Some are faithful to their spouse. Some are not. Some are liked by others in the town. Others...
At first, I had a little trouble, despite family trees posted at the beginning of each chapter, following where I was reading on the tree. Eventually, I stopped worrying about it and just went along for the ride. It was a pleasant journey.
This cradle Catholic, long time church organist has NEVER heard the song "What a Friend We Have in Jesus" in a Catholic Church. Too popular/secular?
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cece j
the northern reach
I am not a fan of long family sagas that can drone on for hundreds of pages, but this new author has given us a novel of vignettes about four families in upper Maine over most of the last century, who are far from dull or mundane. She has chosen her words well to tell their stories of grief, heart break, lost love and secrets in a completely compelling way. You might find many of the characters unlikable, and they often do not like each other, but they are always connected and drawn back to each other by strong family bonds that force them to reveal their love and guilt and dependence on each other -- so much like my own large family. While their foibles can bring smiles and laughs to you, they might also bring tears. I will be watching for Ms. Winslow's next novel and hope it appears soon.
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Leslie G. (Peabody, MA)
Great Debut
The Northern Reach is an extraordinary debut novel. The interconnected stories that make up the work deal, in almost all cases, with individuals who possess yearnings for what could have been. Their everyday lives chronicle a litany of unfulfilled desires. The harsh Maine seascape perfectly reflects the internal challenges the characters undergo. The lyrical language of The Northern Reach will resonate long after the reader has finished the novel.
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Cynthia W. (Austin, TX)
The Northern Reach
For someone who loves people and reading about what makes them tick, why they make the choices they do, this book will have you glued to the pages and sorry that you've already come to the (albeit satisfying) conclusion. Winslow gives you the "fly on the wall" view into the foibles, failings, and quirks as well as strengths and strong points of those who live in a little town on the coast of Maine.
Covering the twentieth century and the intermingling among four families is no small feat. At a little over 200 pages, the perfect length in my opinion, Winslow's writing is spartan and spare, each word necessary, not a single word extraneous.
I had a bit of a slow start with chapter one, but once I got the hang of the family trees introducing each chapter along with the year or span of years covered, I was hooked! It's one of the top 5 books I've read in 2020!
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