The place, and it’s all about the place, is found first by illicit lovers fleeing their fledgling puritan community in New England. It is remote, to the north (obviously) and in the woods (ditto). It is well off the beaten track then; and remains so for the next 400 years.
A succession of ‘owners’, some legal and others mere squatters, provides the subsequent episodic narrative. Early bloody struggles set the tone but then follows a period of calm as a veteran of the French and Indian wars sets up a commercial apple orchard (though the sweet tasting variety he discovers has sinister origins). His daughters remain after his demise in the War of Independence, and their antics echo down the years.
No more spoilers. Suffice it to say that each episode delights (or horrifies) and adds to the place’s spooky aura that lies heavy over would-be residents.
The style varies by episode reflecting the life and times. Third-person narratives are mixed with some first-person testimony, including newspaper reports, letters, and a psychologist’s case notes. There are even ballads in the voices of the dead daughters making light of unsavoury events.
It is a bit of a mishmash but none the worse for that. A smorgasbord of styles, events, and characters that work pretty well together. The passage of time and effects on the landscape and natural world are particularly well done. The location of the yellow house and its grounds in the north woods is, at the end of the day, the main character.
An unusual book that
makes for a rewarding read.
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