Daniel Mason’s newest book, “North Woods,” is the story of a house and the New England forest that surrounds it. It sounds so simple. But this sprawling, epic story combines unforgettable characters, story, scenery and exquisite writing into a singular work of art.
The novel opens with a pair of young lovers fleeing their Puritan village to seek refuge in the “north woods.” The yellow house they build there becomes the center of the story — indeed, its primary character – and we follow its development and transformation across centuries.
Mason’s host of characters includes a British colonist who plants an apple orchard; his twin daughters, Alice and Mary, who develop a bitter rivalry; a hunter who wants to open a luxury sportsmen’s lodge; and a painter who carries a secret longing.
The genius of the novel is how Mason pieces it all together with various styles of what seem like historical documents. There are letters, bits of songs, poems, a speech, a real estate listing, and even a dispatch from a true crime magazine. We read a psychologist’s notes on a patient with schizophrenia, and then the writings of that patient’s mother, who struggles to understand her son’s hallucinations as he wanders the north woods. The novel carries you along like a spring breeze, enchanting and effortless, the story and characters so seamlessly intertwined. It’s one of those books that reminds you why you love to read.
It’s no wonder the novel ended up on so many best-of-the-year lists, including the New York Times Book Review, which called it a “dazzling decoupage.” The sprawling story and Mason’s creative storytelling make it one to remember.
