Tuesday, March 29, 2011

30 Day Challenge

Day 06 – A book that makes you sad

I have quite a few of these, but one that i recently read and that has really stayed with me was Caribou Island by David Vann


The prize-winning author of Legend of a Suicide delivers his highly anticipated debut novel.


On a small island in a glacier-fed lake on Alaska's Kenai Peninsula, a marriage is unraveling. Gary, driven by thirty years of diverted plans, and Irene, haunted by a tragedy in her past, are trying to rebuild their life together. Following the outline of Gary's old dream, they're hauling logs to Caribou Island in good weather and in terrible storms, in sickness and in health, to build the kind of cabin that drew them to Alaska in the first place.

But this island is not right for Irene. They are building without plans or advice, and when winter comes early, the overwhelming isolation of the prehistoric wilderness threatens their bond to the core. Caught in the emotional maelstrom is their adult daughter, Rhoda, who is wrestling with the hopes and disappointments of her own life. Devoted to her parents, she watches helplessly as they drift further apart.

Brilliantly drawn and fiercely honest, Caribou Island captures the drama and pathos of a husband and wife whose bitter love, failed dreams, and tragic past push them to the edge of destruction. A portrait of desolation, violence, and the darkness of the soul, it is an explosive and unforgettable novel from a writer of limitless possibility.


1 comment:

Ann said...

Wow! That book sounds incredible! A book that makes me sad would have to be "The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas" but another one I read which had been reaching for the tissues was "Tuesdays with Morrie", by Mitch Albom.