Where the Rivers Flow North by Howard Frank Mosher (2004. University of Vermont Press. ISBN 1-58465-363-9)
Thank you, Lord. After reading Shelter Half (see review elsewhere on this blog) and finding myself doubting the power of modern-day fiction authors, my faith in the literary form was rekindled by this collection of short stories and a novella from Vermont’s most celebrated man of letters. Seriously. From the first short story, “Alabama Jones”, to the concluding sentence in the novella title piece, this is a rare and fine gem of American writing.
The setting is depicted with first hand vision and expertise. The characters, as you’d expect when reading about Vermont’s backwoods, are quirky, engaging, hardscrabble, and lovable. The dialogue, though regional and distant from my personal experience, rang true. In essence, Mosher has hit for the cycle in this book, creating a cohesive collection of tales, of which the novella, though last in arrangement, forms the centerpiece of the author’s vision of his native state as it once existed. There are hints of gallows humor throughout the stories, and one story, “High Water”, contains more than its fair share of smiles.
I picked this book up at Green Mountain Books and Prints in little Lyndonville, Vermont on our recent road trip. Mosher was suggested to me by the store owner as a local author who is a must read. She was right. I read the book from cover to cover in a day and a half.
5 stars out of 5.
PS If you’re in Lydonville, I’d highly recommend Green Mountain Books. It’s an experience, like browsing in the old Hungry Mind Bookstore in St. Paul (sadly, no longer with us) you won’t forget.
