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drchavez08's review against another edition
4.0
This book definitely takes a minute to get into, so don't let the short length fool you. It reads quite lyrically, which took me a few chapters to understand but overall added to the almost whimsical mood of the story. I did end up enjoying it, and would definitely be interested to pick up other works by Thon.
jolynne's review against another edition
emotional
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
A boy jumps into a river to save his dog. As his family and the community search the author takes us into the thoughts and memories of these diverse people. Thoughts that are filled with regrets, loss, love, life and death all in the course of one day. Through all of this the beauty of the natural world shines.
What a gem of a book.
(I don’t understand why this book would be considered “magical realism”.)
(I don’t understand why this book would be considered “magical realism”.)
drchavez's review against another edition
4.0
This book definitely takes a minute to get into, so don't let the short length fool you. It reads quite lyrically, which took me a few chapters to understand but overall added to the almost whimsical mood of the story. I did end up enjoying it, and would definitely be interested to pick up other works by Thon.
shimmer's review against another edition
4.0
Not quite sure how I feel about this one: it pulled me in and kept me engaged, but didn't leave me with a strong impression one way or the other. The poetic voice was a pleasure, and there are some powerful sections (the chapter about a young girl lost and wandering her neighborhood overnight, for instance). But it seemed to tread the same ground as several other novels (Kent Meyers The River Warren, Jon McGregor's If Nobody Speaks of Remarkable Things, and Brian Doyle's Mink River, for example) in the type of characters and the structure of interlaced lives around the event of a small town tragedy, and even the thematic notions about community and love and continuity it explores. It never stopped feeling familiar, perhaps because the "eco avant-garde" aspect emphasized in the publisher's description wasn't as much a part of the story as I'd hoped for. I guess I'm also not as convinced as the novel takes for granted that suffering is the only (or most) interesting aspect of a life, and found myself wishing for a bit more range in how these characters were shown, because as large and varied as the cast is they are defined almost exclusively by their pain.
peeled_grape's review against another edition
3.0
Perfectly serviceable, just not for me. I’m finding I’m not big into environmental writing (unless you’re Janet Sarbanes). Poetic, daydreamy in tone, full of imagery, flows nicely between narratives. Loved that it fit into one day. Don’t have a lot of big thoughts for this one. Also: That list of names in the beginning? Fantastic.
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