Play Book Tag discussion

Before I go into the review in detail, I wanted to note that I read a kindle unlimited copy which was rife with typos, misspellings and repeated lines. This is something that I generally read beyond and don't make mention of but the sheer number of them makes it impossible for me to over look.

Now on to the essence of the review of Driftless, which for the most part was a book I quite enjoyed. I loved the setting of rural and small town Wisconsin in its Driftless region, which is an area which the glacier of the ice age missed.

I appreciate Rhodes style and his characterization. He writes short chapters featuring any number of characters from the small town of Words. I came to appreciate many of them and found myself rooting for their success.

As much as I appreciate his writing there were also several elements which I found hard to overlook. His writing is so infused with his personal political perspective that it is hard to ignore:

"Children were the meter of change, and an indication of cultural decline could be found in the prodigious resources and effort now required to raise them. It was apparently impossible that families had ever lived in drafty houses filled to the rafters with unplanned offspring. Now, radio and television programs routinely featured experts guiding parents through the minefields of having children. Books, brochures, and videos apprised grandparents of their august responsibilities."

This is just one example and there were so many it could have used a warning label. I prefer to read political theory in nonfiction works.

(view spoiler)[And then there was July's death. I'm not ususally fussy about things like this, but I have had recent experience of knowing of somebody whose death was similar and it was haunting and difficult for those who loved him. (hide spoiler)]

I want to dispel the idea that I did not like this book, because I enjoyed reading it for the most part and know many readers wouldn't be effected by the elements I mentioned.

It’s sad that the kindle unlimited version is that bad- that can be so distracting, and probably would have ruined the book for me. Kudos for your patience.

I don’t remember much of the political stuff, just the feels from the book. Although I do remember him talking about the troubles dairy farmers face. I hear a lot of that talk normally, so it didn’t phase me.

I loved his descriptions of the land, and the characters. This area is a couple hours from where I live, and it’s as described. Plus, as a farm girl, I try to read books set in farm communities.

His books remind me of Kent Haruf and Wendell Berry, with a little Steinbeck thrown in.

Tracy wrote: "It’s sad that the kindle unlimited version is that bad- that can be so distracting, and probably would have ruined the book for me. Kudos for your patience.

I don’t remember much of the political ..."
My Dad was a dairy farmer and quit because of government actions, so I well understand the politics but I was sensing and undercurrent that I read before in Snow Man one of the few I have rated 1 star. I could be wrong and it could be more representative of a farming frame of reference.

I did like so much about this book and I certainly don't blame the author for the shoddy editing.

Good lord, Snow Man sounds horrible!