'Down From Cascom Mountain' by Ann Joslin Williams

She looked up again, up toward the mountain to the cliff, and up into the sky above to see where he'd come from, where he'd come down. She saw how far it was, the span from up there to where she stood.  All this time there had been her voice calling his name, and then it changed when she saw that distance. His name was in her mouth, but now it was a different sound, like a howl. 


(from Down From Cascom Mountain, page 35 in the ARC; finished version may be different)
 
Teaser Synopsis: 
Set in rugged New Hampshire in the aftermath of a fatal accident, this assured debut novel wrestles with grief and desire as a young woman finds her way over the course of one summer. 
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First thoughts after closing this book: I just want to stay here in this moment and think about these characters because I'm not quite ready to say goodbye...I'm still a bit worried for a few of them, but I know they'll be fine.

This book really impacted me and I have to say that I was surprised by how much I cared for the characters in this story. Without even realizing it, Ann Joslin Williams, drew me into their lives and weaved this web from which I could find no way out out. The mountain and the surrounding area that makes up a central part of this book came alive for me. I love the wildness of untouched forests and being one with nature. If you enjoy that type of book this one will sing loudly for you to read it. At first glance you really don't think any of the characters have a single thing in common, but after sitting back and letting myself absorb what I read,  I realized that no matter what age, sex, or life experience, grief can be a constant companion for any lost and hurting soul.

Mt. Washington, highest peak in NH

Recommendations before reading this book: Take a few minutes and look at some photos of the mountains and terrain in New Hampshire. Make sure that the sun is shining and that you can carve out a big chunk of time to read this book in one sitting. Trust me, once you get into it, you forget where you are and become totally immersed in the rugged beauty of New Hampshire and absolutely involved with the characters lives.


Recommend? Resounding yes! I loved this story...I was drawn into this one and didn't want to put it down until the last page had been turned. I really believe that Williams has a brilliant future in literary fiction!!

Rating: 9/10

Ann Joslin Williams grew up in New Hampshire. She earned her MFA in fiction from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, and was a Wallace Stegner Fellow at Stanford University. She is the author of The Woman in the Woods, a collection of linked stories, which won the 2005 Spokane Prize for Short Fiction, and her work has appeared in StoryQuarterly, the Iowa Review, the Missouri Review,Ploughshares, and elsewhere. She was the winner of an NEA grant for her work on Down from Cascom Mountain. Williams is an assistant professor at the University of New Hampshire.
Visit Ann Joslin William’s website at www.annjoslinwilliams.com.

Author: Ann Joslin Williams

Published: June 7, 2011

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Pages: 325

Genre: Brilliant Literary Fiction

ISBN:  9781608193066

* uncorrected ARC was provided for review

 

Disclaimer:Thank you to TLC Book Tours for sending me a review copy. I was not compensated for my review. My thoughts on this book were in no way influenced by the author or publicist.They are my personal reflections based solely on MY experience while reading this novel.

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