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A Novel
by Liz Moore
Book Reviewed by:When a teenager vanishes from her Adirondack summer camp, two worlds collide.
Early morning, August 1975: a camp counselor discovers an empty bunk. Its occupant, Barbara Van Laar, has gone missing. Barbara isn't just any thirteen-year-old: she's the daughter of the family that owns the summer camp and employs most of the region's residents. And this isn't the first time a Van Laar child has disappeared. Barbara's older brother similarly vanished fourteen years ago, never to be found.
As a panicked search begins, a thrilling drama unfolds. Chasing down the layered secrets of the Van Laar family and the blue-collar community working in its shadow, Moore's multi-threaded story invites readers into a rich and gripping dynasty of secrets and second chances. It is Liz Moore's most ambitious and wide-reaching novel yet.
Carl
1961
It was seven in the evening already when the phone rang in the fire hall, jolting Carl Stoddard awake. He had fallen asleep on a cot after a long day in the sun. On ring two, he rose and blinked. By the third ring, he was in action, lifting the receiver with the same trepidation he always felt when answering. He disliked speaking in general; speaking into a telephone was worse.
"Carl Stoddard?" said a voice on the other end. This was Marcy Thibault, the local operator, whose years of experience had given her the uncanny ability to recognize voices.
"What's the bad news," said Carl—his standard response. A scripted line.
"I've got someone on the line for you from the Van Laar Preserve," said Marcy.
"Oh?" said Carl.
This was strange. Never in his life had Carl—a gardener at the Preserve—been contacted directly by his employers.
Maybe he'd left something there. Or maybe he'd done something wrong. Peter Van Laar was a man of strong opinions, and the landscaping was a ...
What is your book club reading in 2025?
...by Stephen Harrigan Orbital by Samantha Harvey The Lion Women of Tehran by Marjan Kamali The Secret Life of Sunflowers by Marta Molnar & Dana Marton The God of the Woods by Liz Moore The Bee Sting by Paul Murray Night Watch by Jayne Anne Phillips Tell Me Everything by Elizabeth Strout Huck Finn by Mark Twain & James by Percival Ev...
-Anne_Glasgow
What are you reading this week? (2024-10-31)
God of the Woods by Liz Moore. Wow, is it good, and I'm only halfway through.
-Ann_Beman
The narrative structure Liz Moore employs in The God of the Woods is intricate; non-sequential chapters bounce among several points between 1950, when the children's mother Alice first meets their father Peter, and 1975, as the investigation into a missing child's whereabouts progresses. Chapters are also written from the viewpoint of different characters, so diverse voices and perspectives are explored. And finally, the plot concerns not only two separate mysteries but abounds with subplots, examining themes such as family dysfunction, class structure, and the roles of women during these decades. Although this sounds horribly complex, the author is so skilled that one never feels lost and not one line feels unnecessary or out of place. This is an engrossing mystery that expands the genre into character study and a discussion of social norms. The book is highly recommended for those looking for a top-notch summer mystery, as well as anyone interested in an outstanding work of literary fiction...continued
Full Review
(586 words)
(Reviewed by Kim Kovacs).
Douglas Stuart, Booker Prize winning author of Shuggie Bain
A riveting tale of a missing child that widens into a vast, acute portrait of youth, friendship, family secrets, and conflicting social circles. Intelligently done, and with a gimlet eye for telling detail, it's a brilliant trap full of secrets and lies. Miranda Cowley Heller, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Paper Palace
A brilliant, riveting fox trap of a novel — an epic mystery, a family saga and a survival guide. Liz Moore shows us how easy it is for any of us to get lost in the woods, and what to do if you want to be found. I loved this book. Rebecca Makkai, New York Times bestselling author of I Have Some Questions For You
Riveting from page one to the last breathless word, The God of the Woods is about the many ways we find and lose both ourselves and others. This book flew by at lightning speed, but will stick with me for a very long time.Liz Moore's mystery The God of the Woods begins with the disappearance of a girl from fictional Camp Emerson, a summer camp for children in the Adirondack Mountains of New York.
For many children, attending summer camp is a rite of passage. According to a 2023 Newsweek article, there are over 12,000 summer camps across the United States, and some 20 million children—around 40 percent of children ages 6 to 18—attend at least one camp annually. Hundreds of different kinds of experiences are available now, with some catering to outdoor activities, some to arts and crafts, others to learning about potential careers such as robotics or computer programming.
Most historians believe the first summer camp in the United States ...
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