The History of Sound by Ben Shattuck [ONLINE] - option 1

Publisher's description: "In twelve luminous stories set across three centuries, The History of Sound examines the unexpected ways the past returns to us and how love and loss are entwined and transformed over generations. In Ben Shattuck’s ingenious collection, each story has a companion story, which contains a revelation about the previous, paired story. Mysteries and murders are revealed, history is refracted, and deep emotional connections are woven through characters and families....Shattuck’s inventive, exquisite stories transport readers from 1700s Nantucket to the contemporary woods of New Hampshire and beyond—into landscapes both enduring and unmistakably modern. Memories, artefacts, paintings, and journals resurface in surprising and poignant ways among evocative beaches, forests, and orchards, revealing the secrets, misunderstandings, and love that linger across centuries. Written with breathtaking humanity and humor, The History of Sound is a love letter to New England, a radiant conversation between past and present, and a moving meditation on the abiding search for home."

FROM OUR MEMBERS VIA OUR DISCORD:

Martha: "Like North Woods, the historical and contemporary events and characters are woven together, but Shattuck’s approach may be even more brilliant. The paired stories illuminate and magnify each other in a way unlike anything I have read before, and the characterization and visual details are pitch perfect."

Jane: "I absolutely loved it, the language, the interwoven stories, the characters."

Matthew: "I'm almost through and don't want it to end. It contains some of the most eloquent and engaging writing I've encountered in a long time."

Mac: "Captivating writing replete with beautiful descriptions of nature."

Joan: "You read one story and understand it -- it feels full, finished, just right. Then another story arrives that has elements of the first and surprises you with new insights. Although these are short stories, the book will work beautifully as a novel choice. Think North Woods, Olive Kitteridge, Visit from the Goon Squad, and more."