I won a Goodreads giveaway (my first win!) for an ARC of The Vaster Wilds and still cannot believe my good fortune. A much anticipated Fall release and Lauren Groff no less.

I am familiar with Lauren Groff’s writing and have always loved it, though I think I may not have made it through The Matrix.

I love your summary of the story, and I loved the book as well, but sadly at some point I felt it became noticeably repetitious. I read the book and have heard so many good things about the audio, but I like my books in hard copy form.

There was something about the story, definitely HER story as you said; but, at some point maybe I wanted the intrusion of some other people, or did I? It was just the sequence of traveling, finding shelter, something to eat and repeat, that felt repetitive, despite my rooting for the character to survive in the vaster wilds.

Since I now own a copy, this is one that warrants going back and rereading portions of the beautiful writing.

Small Mercies. Wow, just wow. I saw this on Obama’s Summer reading list and went into it blindly. I loved everything about the book.

“It came out loud and clear with real language that today makes most of us cringe, but then and there it was how people talked, how they thought.” You could not have said that better Susie.

The book should be read in high schools. Except for the ultra violent showdown, this hits home getting the message of racism and how we are all different and at the same time alike. The end is beyond poignant. And the character of Mary Pat Fennessy is one that I will not forget.

Small Mercies may be my favorite book of the year.