The Thumbnail Book Reviews
by John Q McDonald --- 19 February 1998
by David Guterson
There are colorful and complete characters in most novels, and they seem real enough until a book comes along that stands above the rest. Guterson has created just such a masterwork; of very real people living on a remote island among Washington's San Juans. The story centers around the 1954 trial of a Japanese-American accused of the murder of a fellow gill-net fisherman. But the tale takes us deep into the lives of the people touched by this story, telling us about their lifelong dreams, youthful loves, visceral hates and even their sex lives. Along the way, the turbulent history of World War 2 and the internment of Japanese-Americans also shape the life of this island. The reader may wonder if this is more detail than one wants to know, but the complexity and depth of the characters makes this the great work that it is. The author finds much that touches the attentive reader, and builds a suspense that makes this book nearly impossible to put down. Above all, a very real-feeling story.
(For this book Guterson was awarded the 1995 PEN/Faulkner Award. In 1999, the book was made into movie of the same name which did fair justice to the novel.)
Also by Guterson: [East of the Mountains]