Comments (35)

Community comments are the opinions of contributing users. These comments do not represent the opinions of Surrey Libraries.
What did you think about this title?
1 to 25 of 35 items
Jan 30, 2024SommerES rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Important, riveting, immersive. Loved it.
Jan 21, 2024johnjamison rated this title 3 out of 5 stars
A tale of the exploration and explotation of eastern forest in 16-19 century north america
Dec 17, 2023mllyrdl rated this title 0.5 out of 5 stars
Wow, I can't believe people liked this book. After reading 200 pages (of 700+ pages) I finally stopped punishing myself and took the book back to the library. What a slog and soooo boring! So many characters and then you don't hear…
Mar 31, 2023AliceMunro rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
So well written, so riveting. Laugh out loud funny in parts, tragedy throughout, ending on a realistic but mildly hopefull note. Very interesting characters - was sorry when it ended.
Dec 16, 2022
Had a wonderful time with this novel! Stayed up late to finish reading the last 10% on Kindle and kept waiting for (spoiler alert) a Mic'mac character to inherit the Beitsprecher fortune accumulated by Lavinia. Some characters are rich and…
Apr 29, 2022sdb177 rated this title 2 out of 5 stars
The first 200 pages are terrific! The next 500 pages are terrible. Suddenly, there are a dozen new characters, none of whom is realistically presented or interesting at all. All the sense of purpose and forward movement grinds to a…
Jul 02, 2021Skater24 rated this title 3 out of 5 stars
A multi generational saga, which amounts to a collection of stories of individuals in two family lines. The family trees are helpful to keep track of these individuals. This format is a little frustrating to read as certain plots have…
Feb 10, 2021
I just finished reading this epic novel and think it is the best novel I have ever read. It brings to heart and mind the indigenous story of Canada in its detailed characterizations and plight of generations from the 1600's ships from…
Jul 28, 20201queenie1 rated this title 1.5 out of 5 stars
Audio book is ruined by the narrator's atrocious French accent. Pepe le Pew could do better.
Jul 02, 2020Singflower rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
A powerful epic from the beginning of colonization of the N American continent to modern times, and its effects on the indigenous people and the land throughout history.
Nov 19, 2019DanglingConversations rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
This was like reading a Canadian "War and Peace". Epic saga spanning generations and cultural clashes. I was disappointed in the last chapter which became pedantic and cut the reader off from the main thread of the story. If Proulx had…
Jan 24, 2019
Jan 23 2019.....Not quite finished, mixed feelings about this book.....just because it jumps around and I lose track of who did what 100 pages ago....but overall enjoying the experience and I have been zipping through since page 370 or so…
Aug 30, 2018uncommonreader rated this title 2 out of 5 stars
This "epic" saga spans three centuries, following the families of two poor young men from France who travel to Quebec as indentured labour. The descendants of both men are involved in the lumber industry. One man marries an indigenous…
Apr 23, 2018
This is a big literary meal, as it spans a time period of about 300 years. The stories of two lines of descendants stemming from two French settlers. One line engages in industrial logging, with its associated ups and downs. The other line…
Apr 01, 2018orange_lobster_23 rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
This epic tale of the colonization of Eastern Canada and New England and the ecological destruction of North America and other countries follows the descendants of two French emigres, Rene Sel and Duques. I forgot what a master…
Dec 16, 2017llojoh rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
I thought this was an excellent book. It traces the family trees of 2 french settlers to New France. One family struggles with labor related jobs while the other prospers. I read the large print edition and it was almost 900 pages. It did…
Nov 13, 2017
I started reading this on my Kindle. I had no idea that it was a 700 page book. When the loan expired, I checked out the book. Trying to get through this book all at once would be horrible. I found that it is divided into 10 sections. Most…
Sep 06, 2017lulu415 rated this title 2.5 out of 5 stars
I was swept up in this book... until about page 250. That's when I began to weary of characters flitting across the pages of this book like so many birds, of the heavy-handed approach to the important messages, and to the lack of human…
Apr 15, 2017nrobocop_nwpl rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
Overall I felt more impressed by this book than ~swept up~ by it. It was a long read and it was hard to get particularly attached to any of the characters. However, it is one of those books that lingers. By providing such a sweeping…
Feb 26, 2017brangwinn rated this title 3 out of 5 stars
At times, I felt I was plodding through this very thorough story of a First Nations family and a French family who came to North America. Through marriage their lives intertwined Through the story Proulx’s love for nature and Canada shine…
adam_cooper
Feb 19, 2017adam_cooper rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
Here we go, another librarian review for a 700+ page door stop. But seriously this book is engrossing. Spanning several decades and exploring multiple genealogies this page-turning behemoth will keep you gripped (or your money back). The…
Jan 30, 2017
It is certainly a book with a lot of detail and it follows two families through several generations. If you enjoy family sagas and historical novels, you might like this one. However, I found it tiresome to read. It may be because I had a…
Jan 26, 2017bcjones14 rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
This novel is a literary tour de force. The time and energy Proulx put into researching the logging/forestry industry and the time periods, 1600s to present, is impressive. The characters are well-developed and endearing. I was left with a…
Dec 26, 2016Oleq rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
Covers all facets of the logging industry, from long, cold winters in bush camps to wheeling and dealing at the highest levels of finance. Penetrating insights on colonial and racist attitudes towards North American's indigenous peoples,…
Dec 20, 2016posie12 rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
lively characters, great research very readable.