Thursday, February 22, 2024

The Country of the Pointed Firs by Sarah Orne Jewett*

 I first read Ms. Jewett's writing when my oldest son was in ninth grade. To learn how to analyze literature and to write about it, he read several short stories. Ms. Jewett's "A White Heron" was one of the short stories, which I thoroughly enjoyed. 

The narrator, a writer who decides to stay in the coastal town of Dunnet, Maine for the summer, introduces the reader to the reserved, sturdy town residents. Even though each chapter is a separate sketch, the chapters flow chronologically into the next one. I love Ms. Jewett's descriptive writing and her apt, but sometimes surprising, similes and metaphors. 

 The narrator does not divulge any information about herself. Her sole purpose is highlight the characters within the town.

*Highly recommend to readers who like regional books with beautiful writing. This book is slow-paced. Readers who like action and fast plots could conclude that nothing happens in this book.

A "novella" (too short to be considered a novel & too long to be considered a short story)

-Borrowed from the library.





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