West of Here, Jonathan Evison
West of Here, Jonathan Evison
List: $27.97 | Sale: $19.57
Club: $13.98

West of Here

Author: Jonathan Evison

Narrator: Edoardo Ballerini

Unabridged: 16 hr 31 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 02/11/2011


Synopsis

From the rugged mudflats of the Northwestern frontier to a rusting strip mall, West of Here is a conversation between two epochs. In his eagerly awaited second novel, Jonathan Evison tells the stories of the people who first inhabited the mythical town of Port Bonita in Washington State from 1887-1891. Moving ahead more than a century to 2005-06, he introduces those who live there now and must deal with the damage done by their predecessors.

The characters are drawn with compassion and truth, the themes are grand and sweeping: regeneration, the trappings of history, the elusive nature of perception, who makes footprints and who follows them. Evison writes with heart and verve, capturing evocative details and unforgettable scenes.

About Jonathan Evison

Jonathan Evison is the author of four previous novels: All About Lulu, West of Here, The Revised Fundamentals of Caregiving, and This Is Your Life, Harriet Chance! He lives with his wife and family in Washington State.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Andy

This disappointing novel is set in fictional Port Bonita Washington, a thinly disguised Port Angeles. It alternates between 1890 and 2006. There were some interesting characters and story lines from the 1890 portion but the transitions to 2006 were jolting and the modern characters were so unsympath......more

Goodreads review by William

This is a flawed novel from a very good writer. I have trouble understanding what he was getting at in writing it. It's sort of a history of a place called Port Bonita in the far northwest corner of the US. Part of the story takes place in 1889/90. The rest takes place in 2006. The story isn't told......more

Goodreads review by Julie

In March 2012, the final pieces of concrete and steel of the Elwha River Dam were removed. For one hundred years, man tried to harness the power of this river that flows through the haunting green and glacial interior of the Olympic Peninsula. Before it was dammed (damned), it hosted annual runs of......more

Goodreads review by Dan

I picked up an ARC of West of Here at this year's BEA and I am glad I got a chance to read it as early as I did. This book is a sweeping epic, it's as if Kesey's Sometimes a Great Notion and Eugenides' Middlesex had a love child. While reading you can actually feel the Olympic Peninsula all around y......more