All Things Left Wild by James Wade

 

This was an extraordinary book.  The language is beautiful and atmospheric and moody and elegiac as well as harsh and unforgiving.  Anytime I read something this strong language wise, I am amazed that it is a debut novel.  It has a Cormac McCarthy feel to it and the dialogue is pitch perfect in driving the story.  This is something it usually takes writers awhile to learn.  This writer has a great career ahead of him and I look forward to his next offering.  In the meantime, if you want to explore the magnificence of the American West as reflected in human souls, read this book.

The Book of Two Ways by Jodi Picoult

 

Picoult is a wonderful storyteller.  Each tale she weaves she spins with interesting and complex characters navigating a fascinating storyline.  This is a book about death (obviously) as her main character Dawn is a death doula and spends her life trying to help people make that final transition peacefully.  And Picoult has done her research,  so  the information we learn about differing cultures and their approach to death as well as the responsibilities inherent in the position of death doula is extremely interesting.  But it is also a book about so much  more than death.  It's about life, and the choices we make along the way to that final transition, and she entertains the question about what your life would be like had you made different choices along the way.  This is one of Picoult's best.  I highly recommend it.