Canada Reads 2023 shortlist ( )

In 2038, Jake works on Greenwood Island in British Columbia; it’s one of the only truly livable/habitable places left with its giant trees. A biologist, Jake loves living here, though she’s not as enamoured with the job, touring around “Pilgrims” (tourists). Unfortunately, she’s also discovered a couple of trees that appear to be sick; these trees are hundreds of years old.

Her ex-fiance (a lawyer) shows up and books a private tour with her to tell her she might actually “own” the island, given her family history and the history of the island (that is, it may be part of an inheritance for her). The book continues by backing up in time through a few generations of Greenwoods to when Jake’s grandmother was a baby… and one generation earlier in 1908 when Jake’s great-grandfather was a kid (along with his brother). The brothers were very different: Everett ended up a vagrant and in jail; Harris was hugely wealthy via his lumber business, cutting down all the beautiful trees that Jake loves so much.

The bulk of the story followed Harris and Everett and that’s what I liked the best. Have to admit it took a short bit for me to get interested and to figure out what was happening and who the different characters were as we went back in time. I liked the way this one was done: we actually started in 2038, and gradually made our way to 1908 through the generations, then moved forward again back to 2038. ( )

I really enjoyed this family saga, spanning over 100 years. Each of the individual stories/time periods was interesting in itself, as well as blended together masterfully. The characters were strong and believable. The only thing I didn't really like was the ending. I thought it left a key issue (the inheritance) hanging unnecessarily.

As a physical object, the book was also a delight, with the edges of the pages shaded to resemble tree bark, and the rings of a tree demonstrating the story's time line. ( )

I have mixed feelings about this book. As I was reading if, I was less than impressed, but as I reached the conclusion, my opinions became considerably more positive.
The writing is good - clear, flowing sentences that read well and convey the sense easily. The characters are mixed and varied and generally believable - although the slippery slope to substance abuse seems very overdone.
I think it is the plot, and the way it is structured in the book, that troubled me. The plot is expansive and made convoluted by the structure of the book - the action takes place at different times over 130 years, with the periods jumbled - some later parts are presented while the details come much later in the book. This led me to be aware of what was going to happen,minus some of the details as to why they happened. This is a fairly standard device, but for some reason, I was less convinced and more annoyed than I should have been by the structure.
But in the end the author brings things to a strong conclusion, and my appreciation grew significantly. ( )

I just finished this for the 2nd time and I enjoyed it even more the second time around. It is a touching family saga that is woven together expertly and written with style. ( )