W.S. Winslow

The Northern Reach is W.S. Winslow’s first novel and what a beginning this is. The story takes the reader to a small seaside town, Wellbridge, Maine. We eavesdrop on the lives of four families: the Baines family, the Martins, the Edgecombs and the Moody family and we are witness to their despair, their joys, their problems, their loves, their lies, their deaths. W.S. Winslow is a ninth generation Mainer and she writes with a finger on the pulse of her characters. I have laughed and I have cried while reading this lovely little book and I would read it again anytime. If you enjoy family drama and family sagas, The Northern Reach is the book for you. Following these families through several generations as their lives intermingle is pure pleasure. I look forward to reading future novels by Ms. Winslow. Highly recommended. Thank you to Flatiron Books, NetGalley and the author for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.… (meer)

As someone who enjoys multi-generational novels, I was looking forward to reading this book detailing the lives of families in a small coastal town on Maine’s Northern Reach. I read the first chapter enjoying the writer’s vivid descriptions of Wellbridge, Maine, and the women grieving the unexpected deaths of two family members. Winslow’s word pictures made it easy to envision the characters in the setting, and I eagerly anticipated learning more about this family and its common acquaintances.

Unfortunately, the depictions grew less interesting as the book went on. The descriptive prose was still wonderful, but the plot and characterizations were not. There was little character development as the characters in each chapter made the same mistakes as those before. Winslow offered little insight after presenting each scenario, with major events sprouting from previous stories thrown in as a casual aside. We meet characters, we see short snippets of their lives, and then abruptly change to a different family and different generations.

Winslow’s descriptions of people and places left me eager for more but left hanging in the breeze more often than not. I hope that in future works the author will continue to create interesting characters and develop them in a way that lets the reader become fully engaged in their circumstances.

Thanks to NetGalley and Flatiron Books for providing me an advanced review copy in exchange for an honest review.… (meer)

Wellbridge, Maine, the story starts in the early 1900s, where a woman is grieving the loss of her husband and eldest son, to the sea. In these interconnected stories we follow the lives of four families from different social and economic spheres. Their griefs, small snippets of joy, watch as the connect with each other, intermarry and try to wrench a life from what they are given. Lives lived, lives lost, some move away, many return and others stay, accepting a fate that seems impossible to overcome.

This is a first novel, and a well done one. The setting of this rugged place is beautifully described, the wildlife, the fauna, the we, all make this setting come to life. The tone is melancholy, which actually fits my mood lately, but there are small glimpses of humor and small bits of joy.

Many characters, but my copy had family trees at the beginning and several of the chapters had a character from a previous chapter, so these were easier to place. As with most books with multiple characters I had my favorites. The story of Lilianne and George and the story of Alice. Alice's story affected me the most emotionally and one that has stayed with me.

My monthly read with Angela and Lise. I love the books and conversations that go with these reads.

ARC from Edelweiss.… (meer)