That summer was cool and windless, the clouds unrelenting, as if God had reached out his hand one day and nudge the sun from its rightful place.Way out on the lip of the northern plains the small town lay hidden in fog, the few moving about at this hour ghostlike, not quite solid: the shopkeepers, the man driving his water-wagon, the dressmaker with her quick, smooth strides. In a clapboard house a stone's throw from the river, a lean, squared-shouldered man knelt before an old flattop trunk.
Description:
Picture yourself stretched out on the grass next to a stream in some friendly woods. Dappled sun, light breeze, the water gurgling. Complete relaxation.
Now imagine someone sitting nearby, out of sight, reading to you in a soft, soothing voice. Sometimes the words blend with the sounds of the river, gently washing over you in your relaxed state. Simple, quiet words with the strength to penetrate your dreams and create a world of images, people, and life.
Such was the effect on me of Lin Enger's new book The High Divide: A Novel. High Divide and the storytelling skills of Enger lulled me deep into its languid story of love, separation, guilt, forgiveness, and redemption. I was completely absorbed by the simple phrasings and clear pictures of life and hard landscape of the western prairie of Minnesota in the late 1800s.
Ulysses Pope, a carpenter, husband, and father of two young boys, leaves his rustic Minnesota farm and family early one morning, leaving only a note that reads, "A chance for work, hard cash." Six weeks later after no further communication, his sons sneak away from their home to look for him, riding trains and venturing into cities far beyond their comprehension to guess at his trail, relying on the kindness of strangers but also facing the hostilities of others.
With all her three men gone Gretta, Ulysses' wife, decides to set out in a different direction to search for her sons and her husband. She worries that what she finds might answer questions about her quiet husband, his military life in the Civil War, and possibly a world involving another woman. But Gretta's money has run out and therefore must forge ahead to at least get Ulysses to settle their debts.
And who really is this Ulysses and what are his reasons to desert the family he loves without an explanation? As we walk with him and his dogged pursuit of his secret quest, we realize that he is a kind, strong man, but also one driven by inner demons kept from his family and beyond their power to overcome.
Each chapter follows one of these individuals on their travels as they slowly gain wisdom, strength, and experience that hopefully will lead them to their goal. The travelers encounter Civil War friends, Indians, a Smithsonian Museum curator, buffalo, and a mysterious woman who help or frustrate their quests.
The strong, quiet writing style in High Divide is suburb. Author Enger's words flow over you as if you are listening to a hidden voice gently relating an epic story of strong-willed people and the challenges they face. Enger's power of description brings each character and the old West vividly alive. Look at how he describes Ulysses' younger son;
Now imagine someone sitting nearby, out of sight, reading to you in a soft, soothing voice. Sometimes the words blend with the sounds of the river, gently washing over you in your relaxed state. Simple, quiet words with the strength to penetrate your dreams and create a world of images, people, and life.
Such was the effect on me of Lin Enger's new book The High Divide: A Novel. High Divide and the storytelling skills of Enger lulled me deep into its languid story of love, separation, guilt, forgiveness, and redemption. I was completely absorbed by the simple phrasings and clear pictures of life and hard landscape of the western prairie of Minnesota in the late 1800s.
Ulysses Pope, a carpenter, husband, and father of two young boys, leaves his rustic Minnesota farm and family early one morning, leaving only a note that reads, "A chance for work, hard cash." Six weeks later after no further communication, his sons sneak away from their home to look for him, riding trains and venturing into cities far beyond their comprehension to guess at his trail, relying on the kindness of strangers but also facing the hostilities of others.
With all her three men gone Gretta, Ulysses' wife, decides to set out in a different direction to search for her sons and her husband. She worries that what she finds might answer questions about her quiet husband, his military life in the Civil War, and possibly a world involving another woman. But Gretta's money has run out and therefore must forge ahead to at least get Ulysses to settle their debts.
And who really is this Ulysses and what are his reasons to desert the family he loves without an explanation? As we walk with him and his dogged pursuit of his secret quest, we realize that he is a kind, strong man, but also one driven by inner demons kept from his family and beyond their power to overcome.
Each chapter follows one of these individuals on their travels as they slowly gain wisdom, strength, and experience that hopefully will lead them to their goal. The travelers encounter Civil War friends, Indians, a Smithsonian Museum curator, buffalo, and a mysterious woman who help or frustrate their quests.
The strong, quiet writing style in High Divide is suburb. Author Enger's words flow over you as if you are listening to a hidden voice gently relating an epic story of strong-willed people and the challenges they face. Enger's power of description brings each character and the old West vividly alive. Look at how he describes Ulysses' younger son;
[His son] still gave off that clean child-smell, like carrots pulled from the garden.Can the longing for a home, a family, and a place in life, be more clearly and strongly stated by Gretta as she considers her life?
Home was something that should compass about you like the wind, Gretta thought -- you shouldn't have to think about it. And you certainly shouldn't have to build it out of nothing at all, with only love and your bare hands, the way she'd had to do.So grab a comfy chair in front of the fire, sit under a tree, or loll in bed as Enger's words flow over you and incase you into the world of Ulysses and Gretta in the 1880s. A lovely, lovely experience.
If this book interests you, be sure to check out:
Young, Carrie. Nothing to Do But Stay
Wonderful memoir about the people and life in the small farming community on the North Dakota plains. (previously reviewed here)
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