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North Woods

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North Woods

By: Daniel Mason
Narrated by: Arthur Morey, Billie Fulford-Brown, George Newbern, Jason Culp, Jayne Entwistle, Kirsten Potter, Mark Bramhall, Mark Deakins, Michael Crouch, Simon Vance
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About this listen

 The 'spellbinding' American epic.

'Truly outstanding' Mail on Sunday

'This is a time-spanning, genre-blurring work of storytelling magic . . . The only constants are the land and Mason's genius' Washington Post

'Daniel Mason's latest novel is one of those rare books that truly deserves the description "spellbinding" ' Observer

'A tapestry at once intimate and epic' TLS

'Utterly beguiling' Scotsman

'Extraordinary characters . . . a tour de force' Independent, Best Books for Autumn

'Epic . . . weaves a Cloud Atlas-style narrative of humanity under pressure and nature under threat' Guardian, 2023's Biggest Books

FOUR CENTURIES. A SINGLE HOUSE DEEP IN THE WOODS OF NEW ENGLAND.

A young Puritan couple on the run. An English soldier with a fantastic vision. Inseparable twin sisters. A lovelorn painter and a lusty beetle. A desperate mother and her haunted son. A ruthless con man and a stalking panther. Buried secrets. Madness, dreams and hope.

All are connected. The dark, raucous, beautiful past is very much alive.

Exhilarating, daring and playful, NORTH WOODS will change the way you see the world.

'A monumental achievement . . . I loved it' Maggie O'Farrell

'Ambitious, alive, and lush with generosity . . . an immersive sprint through time' Tess Gunty

(P)2023 Penguin Random House Audio©2023 Daniel Mason Fiction Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Small Town & Rural Destiny Heartfelt Witty Inspiring Scary

Critic reviews

Set in a single home in the forests of Massachusetts, the interconnecting stories of
this enthralling novel span four centuries. A timely musing on what and who are lost
to history.
My novel of the year . . . An absolute feast of American political, agricultural, religious, culinary and social history built around the people, animals and plants that occupy one lush spot in the New England countryside over centuries, it's a little piece of magic
Daniel Mason's latest novel is one of those rare books that truly deserves the description "spellbinding"
Epic . . . weaves a Cloud Atlas-style narrative of humanity under pressure and nature under threat
This is a brave and original book, which invents its own form. It is both intimate and epic, playful and serious. To read it is to travel to the limits of what the novel can do
Mason teases out the joy and meaning in the sometimes small lives of his characters. North Woods has been heaped with praise and hype, and deservedly so. This is a book that treats life as a miracle and demands the proper awe from its readers
Creates a tale of sensory obsession to rank with Patrick Suskind's Perfume . . . Shows us what is possible when a writer lets his hair down
'This is a time-spanning, genre-blurring work of storytelling magic . . . The only constants are the land and Mason's genius'
Adopting a variety of styles and literary forms, and written in elegant prose, this is a virtuoso
performance. All human life and nature is here. Truly outstanding
Deliciously chimeric
Stunning
Narrative expertise is supported by rich characterisation: in chapter after chapter, Mason swiftly realises his compelling, varied cast . . . It seems almost a magic trick, the way in which Mason knits his lives into a single tale. He links their stories together with a satisfying subtlety that never fails to surprise and delight . . . and he brings well-earned surprises that had me, on more than one occasion, gasping with shock
Mason may not yet be a household name, but his readers tend to be evangelical about his talent - and little wonder . . . Mason has the born storyteller's gift of knowing how to reignite your interest in a new scenario even as you're mourning the one just gone
Epic, playful, polyphonic . . . Daniel Mason's formal innovation and narrative depth combine to transcendent effect, illustrating the wondrous ways in which we are rooted in our surroundings and history
Mason follows the inhabitants of a secluded western Massachusetts home and their tragedies across centuries in this spectacular ghost story . . . [He] interleaves his crystalline prose with enchanting and authentic-seeming historical documents . . . Each arc is beautifully, heartbreakingly conveyed, stitching together subtle connections across time. This astonishes
All stars
Most relevant
I loved this book. It is clever and interesting and amusing and at times a bit scary! I loved the use if multiple narrators for the different chapters. My favourite fiction I have listened to on audible.

Fabulous story

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I absolutely loved everything about this book. It transported me. Containing everything from history to magic to crime to adventure, this is an extraordinary piece of storytelling which leaves the listener breathlessly excited to discover more by this incredible author.

Unbelievably beautiful writing incredible performances

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Sad it’s finished, May have to start it again. Beautifully written and the narration perfect.

Beautiful, gripping. Amazing narration.

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So unusual, so generous with the stories and I loved the narration. Such understated humour enhanced massively by the narrators. Great listen

Loved it

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Listening to North Woods was one of those rare experiences where I found myself slowing down just to savour it.

The moment the narration began, I was drawn into its quiet, atmospheric world—a story rooted in one place but stretching effortlessly across generations, following one patch of land through time, carrying with it all the echoes of the lives that passed across it. It’s beautifully written, full of quiet emotion and depth, mixing history, memory, and the natural world in a way that feels both timeless and immediate. It left me thinking long after I stopped listening as it lingered in my imagination.  

The narration was superb. Each of the narrators managed to capture every shift in mood and era with such sensitivity that it felt less like listening to a book and more like being guided through a living history. Their pacing, clarity, and emotion brought out the richness of the writing in a way that made the story feel even more intimate.  

What stayed with me most were the themes of love, loss, nature, and the passage of time, all woven together into something that was at the same time both tender and profound. North Woods speaks to the cycles of life and renewal with grace and beauty, reminding us of our enduring connection to the land we inhabit, how we impact it, and how it shapes us. I’m so glad I experienced it in audio form, and now that I've bought the print edition, I know I will return to the story again.

A most satisfying book

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