A review by abauer
The Jump-Off Creek by Molly Gloss

4.0

A slice of life novel set in the 1890s Blue Mountains of Oregon, The Jump-Off Creek chronicles Lydia Sanderson's first nine months on her newly-purchased homestead. Contrary to the description, the book covers multiple perspectives, mainly that of Lydia and her neighbors Tim Whiteaker and Blue Odell. It's very much a character-driven novel, and despite a certain lack of emotional depth, I was very invested in the characters. And because it's a "slice of life" novel with a seemingly arbitrary beginning and ending, I wanted more at the end. Overall, I enjoyed it. It's an easy read, and it offered a detailed and interesting historical perspective that I don't often read.