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Northern Trilogy #1
Vacationland
On a lake in northernmost Minnesota, you might find Naledi Lodge—only two cabins still standing, its pathways now trodden mostly by memories. And there you might meet Meg, or the ghost of the girl she was, growing up under her grandfather’s care in a world apart and a lifetime ago. Now an artist, Meg paints images “reflected across the mirrors of memory and water,” much as the linked stories of Vacationland cast shimmering spells across distance and time.
Those whose paths have crossed at Naledi inhabit Vacationland : a man from nearby Hatchet Inlet who knew Meg back when, a Sarajevo refugee sponsored by two parishes who can’t afford “their own refugee,” aged sisters traveling to fulfill a fateful pact once made at the resort, a philandering ad man, a lonely Ojibwe stonemason, and a haiku-spouting girl rescued from a bog.
Sarah Stonich, whose work has been described as “unexpected and moving” by the Chicago Tribune and “a well-paced feast” by the Los Angeles Times , weaves these tales of love and loss, heartbreak and redemption into a rich novel of interconnected and disjointed lives. Vacationland is a moving portrait of a place—at once timeless and of the moment, composed of conflicting dreams and shared experience—and of the woman bound to it by legacy and sometimes longing, but not necessarily by choice.
Those whose paths have crossed at Naledi inhabit Vacationland : a man from nearby Hatchet Inlet who knew Meg back when, a Sarajevo refugee sponsored by two parishes who can’t afford “their own refugee,” aged sisters traveling to fulfill a fateful pact once made at the resort, a philandering ad man, a lonely Ojibwe stonemason, and a haiku-spouting girl rescued from a bog.
Sarah Stonich, whose work has been described as “unexpected and moving” by the Chicago Tribune and “a well-paced feast” by the Los Angeles Times , weaves these tales of love and loss, heartbreak and redemption into a rich novel of interconnected and disjointed lives. Vacationland is a moving portrait of a place—at once timeless and of the moment, composed of conflicting dreams and shared experience—and of the woman bound to it by legacy and sometimes longing, but not necessarily by choice.
288 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2012
139 people are currently reading
2167 people want to read
About the author
Sarah Stonich
16 books245 followersThe author of internationally acclaimed and award-winning novels "Laurentian Divide" and "Vacationland", the first two volumes in her Northern trilogy. Her earlier novels, "These Granite Islands" and "The Ice Chorus", left their marks on readers around the world, having been translated into eleven languages - most recently into Czech. Visit her web site for reviews and info. Sarah's memoir, 'Shelter: Off The Grid In The Mostly Magnetic North', winner of the NE MN Book Award is now available in paperback.
Her feminist fiction Fishing with RayAnne trilogy debuted with "Fishing!" and will be followed next year by "Reeling". Sarah writes and lives in Minnesota with her husband, Jon. For more visit sarahstonich.com and like her FB page: Sarah Stonich Bookshelf
Her feminist fiction Fishing with RayAnne trilogy debuted with "Fishing!" and will be followed next year by "Reeling". Sarah writes and lives in Minnesota with her husband, Jon. For more visit sarahstonich.com and like her FB page: Sarah Stonich Bookshelf
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 371 reviews
July 31, 2021
It's not a mystery or a thriller but a story about a man and his granddaughter and all the people that come into their lives, throughout their lives. Along the way there is adventure and a little romance and a lot of beautiful stories. Very well done.
June 3, 2013
Maybe because of the title, I expected Vacationland to be a light, breezy read. What I didn’t expect was to be engrossed, obsessed, and ultimately knocked off my feet.
The book’s main character Meg was orphaned as a child and raised by her curmudgeonly grandfather Vac at Naledi, a harsh land near the Canadian border, and the Summer resort around which the book’s intricate human stories are interwoven. At Naledi, Meg will observe the many people who come and go, and each will leave an imprint. Meg is a fine artist known for her paintings of water, specifically the water of lake Naledi. In her paintings, one sees in the water’s surface a reflection of the beauty of the surrounding land and forest. But look closely, and there are scenes under the water - much deeper, more complicated than what appears on the surface. Just like this book. Stonich’s characters are simple folk, stoic - not a drama queen in the bunch - yet they are compelling and quirky and flawed and striving, and ringing with authenticity. Stonich peels back the layers of her characters in such an understated, artful way, showing her true skill as a writer. Page after page, I was drawn deeper into each story. I thought about the characters during the day as I was working, and couldn’t wait to steal away, to curl up with Vacationland, drift away on lake Naledi. As the book progresses, Stonich reveals with subtle restraint how each story and character are connected. It made me think of my own life -- each person’s unique value, how interconnected we all are, and the impact we have on the lives of those we may never know.
For me, the worth of a book or film, or any art for that matter, is if it can make me feel, or think, in a way I haven’t before. I finished Vacationland a week ago and I’m still thinking about it…
May 3, 2013
There's something so appealing about an old resort closed down for the season, or closed down forever. As we wander among the cabins and faltering foundations, past the lodge and the camp store, peering into the windows as we go, we always imagine more good times than bad. You can almost hear the ghosts of family vacations -- cook-outs, fishing trips, summer romances, and children squealing joyfully as they run through the long summer nights, well past their bedtimes.
In this novel-in-stories, Sarah Stonich takes us to just such a derelict resort, where the ghosts of the past mingle with the locals who are still very much alive. Naledi Lodge sits in Northern Minnesota, so close to Ontario that there's a point where you can throw a rock into Canadian waters. Tourists and entrepreneurs may come and go, but the year-round residents of nearby Hatchet Inlet remain solid and taciturn, rolling with the changes while clinging to traditions.
The stories are presented in non-linear time. At the start it seems confusing, but eventually you begin to recognize the characters and connections in their various incarnations, back and forth through the years.
Meg Machutova and her Czech grandfather Vac are the central characters tying the stories together. Vac was the owner of Naledi Lodge in its prime years of operation. Meg is left with its crumbling remains, unable to let go of the only place that signifies "home" for her. The most poignant aspect of the novel is Meg's journey through life as an orphan, eventually tracing her roots further back than she ever expected to go.
I did enjoy these stories so much, for all the reasons I loved Sarah Stonich's other two novels. She writes with an artist's eye for beauty, and she diligently works to forge a connection with her characters in the heart of every reader. She's a native of Minnesota, and brings local flair to her stories, incorporating that unique blend of Finnish, Swedish, and Native American heritage.
What surprised and delighted me in these stories was the humor, especially in the first few pieces. I don't recall finding that playful naughtiness in her other works. I lost track of how many times I had to put the book down and cackle.
If you balk at the mention of short stories, I highly recommend starting with Stonich's other two novels, These Granite Islands and The Ice Chorus. After you fall in love with her writing, you may decide to stick your toes in the water at Hatchet Inlet.
In this novel-in-stories, Sarah Stonich takes us to just such a derelict resort, where the ghosts of the past mingle with the locals who are still very much alive. Naledi Lodge sits in Northern Minnesota, so close to Ontario that there's a point where you can throw a rock into Canadian waters. Tourists and entrepreneurs may come and go, but the year-round residents of nearby Hatchet Inlet remain solid and taciturn, rolling with the changes while clinging to traditions.
The stories are presented in non-linear time. At the start it seems confusing, but eventually you begin to recognize the characters and connections in their various incarnations, back and forth through the years.
Meg Machutova and her Czech grandfather Vac are the central characters tying the stories together. Vac was the owner of Naledi Lodge in its prime years of operation. Meg is left with its crumbling remains, unable to let go of the only place that signifies "home" for her. The most poignant aspect of the novel is Meg's journey through life as an orphan, eventually tracing her roots further back than she ever expected to go.
I did enjoy these stories so much, for all the reasons I loved Sarah Stonich's other two novels. She writes with an artist's eye for beauty, and she diligently works to forge a connection with her characters in the heart of every reader. She's a native of Minnesota, and brings local flair to her stories, incorporating that unique blend of Finnish, Swedish, and Native American heritage.
What surprised and delighted me in these stories was the humor, especially in the first few pieces. I don't recall finding that playful naughtiness in her other works. I lost track of how many times I had to put the book down and cackle.
If you balk at the mention of short stories, I highly recommend starting with Stonich's other two novels, These Granite Islands and The Ice Chorus. After you fall in love with her writing, you may decide to stick your toes in the water at Hatchet Inlet.
October 16, 2018
Vacationland is a collection of short stories whose uniting factor is the place in which the stories are set: a remote and rustic resort in the far northernmost portion of the state of Minnesota. This first collection contains fifteen stories, all with one word titles: such as Separation, Destination, Hesitation, which tie in well with the subject of each story.
The characters of the stories include the owner of the resort and his granddaughter, the vacationers who come each summer, or perhaps the people who live year round in the small town nearby. But nature plays a big role in each as well.
As a teen, I spent a few weeks each summer in a log cabin at a similar resort in Michigan, with pumped water, propane gas for lighting and outhouses, and this book brought back so many memories. It is filled with eccentric characters just like I remember from those long ago days.
The characters of the stories include the owner of the resort and his granddaughter, the vacationers who come each summer, or perhaps the people who live year round in the small town nearby. But nature plays a big role in each as well.
As a teen, I spent a few weeks each summer in a log cabin at a similar resort in Michigan, with pumped water, propane gas for lighting and outhouses, and this book brought back so many memories. It is filled with eccentric characters just like I remember from those long ago days.
October 25, 2018
Reading Laurentian Divide through Bookish I fell in love with Hatchet Inlet and the people of Naledi lodge. I learned that the novel is based on Sarah Stonich's set of interconnected short stories Vacationland and found a copy through my local library.
If anything, I would say that Vacationland is even better than Laurentian Divide. And that's saying a lot, folks. I feel like I know so much more about these characters and their experience. Hatchet Inlet becomes more "real" and vivid in these stories. The depth of human experience in all its varieties that Stonich elicits from a small group of people is profound. The stories left me heart sore and some will stay vivid in my mind for a very long time.
The sense of place comes alive through the character's love of this far north land where Chicagoans come to summer but few have the stamina to stay year round. And in descriptions that leave a visual image.
Much of the resort is pocked with neglect: a sack of mortar left leaning near a wall has hardened to its own shape, with tatters of sack flapping; a tipped wheelbarrow has a maple sapling sprung through its rusted hole. Flat stones form a run of stairs have eroded to a jumble below, and high on the plateau old cabins lean like a trio of gossips, their eaves and sills lushly bumpered with moss...Bunchberry has berried and the sumac has gone bright. A fork in the path leads to a bog, where each footprint fills with water and spindly tamarack drop yellow needles. At her feet are colorful pitcher plants looking tropical and misplaced amid the hair-cap and hornwort...Water hyacinths, leatherleaf, bog rosemary--soft and woody plants in various stages of growth and bloom and rot make for a heady decay. from short story Hesitation in Vacationland by Sarah Stonich
If anything, I would say that Vacationland is even better than Laurentian Divide. And that's saying a lot, folks. I feel like I know so much more about these characters and their experience. Hatchet Inlet becomes more "real" and vivid in these stories. The depth of human experience in all its varieties that Stonich elicits from a small group of people is profound. The stories left me heart sore and some will stay vivid in my mind for a very long time.
The sense of place comes alive through the character's love of this far north land where Chicagoans come to summer but few have the stamina to stay year round. And in descriptions that leave a visual image.
Much of the resort is pocked with neglect: a sack of mortar left leaning near a wall has hardened to its own shape, with tatters of sack flapping; a tipped wheelbarrow has a maple sapling sprung through its rusted hole. Flat stones form a run of stairs have eroded to a jumble below, and high on the plateau old cabins lean like a trio of gossips, their eaves and sills lushly bumpered with moss...Bunchberry has berried and the sumac has gone bright. A fork in the path leads to a bog, where each footprint fills with water and spindly tamarack drop yellow needles. At her feet are colorful pitcher plants looking tropical and misplaced amid the hair-cap and hornwort...Water hyacinths, leatherleaf, bog rosemary--soft and woody plants in various stages of growth and bloom and rot make for a heady decay. from short story Hesitation in Vacationland by Sarah Stonich
June 12, 2013
What a marvel! Stonich, as always, hits a home run with this chain of short stories or chaptered novel. With her keen observing eye that spares no one, with her air-tight sentences and her seamless introductions of the past, Stonich creates complex characters that are familiar yet surprise you.
Vacationland is a series of stories/chapters that revolve around a resort in northern Minnesota and its owners, a grandfather/granddaughter duo. Both are "characters" in the small town sense: he is a tight-lipped immigrant, she a worldly artist who has lived in Chicago and London. But the book takes in many more characters than these two: it creates an entire town, chapter by chapter, story by story, each one with a fresh character and point of view. The shifts in perspective are done brilliantly and with care: Stonich helps the readers make the transitions with lovely description and background information.
This is a groundbreaking book. Other books, such as Louise Erdrich's The Bingo Palace, had portrayed a community in a second person plural chorus-like fashion, but I have never read a book with such tightly interwoven stories. At the beginning, it was a collection of short stories; by the end, it was a novel.
Stonich's sense of humor twinkles in her descriptions of the coffee-swilling chorus of old men at the diner, the Prius-driving nature-seeking tourist, or the lackluster high school girl who needs help with her homework assignment. On rare occasions, the book's language can become prose-y and flat, but I attribute that to the vast amount of background information the author must stuff into each story as she introduces new characters.
If you have ever lived in a small town or stayed at a resort, if you appreciate fully drawn characters and good writing, you must read this book.
Vacationland is a series of stories/chapters that revolve around a resort in northern Minnesota and its owners, a grandfather/granddaughter duo. Both are "characters" in the small town sense: he is a tight-lipped immigrant, she a worldly artist who has lived in Chicago and London. But the book takes in many more characters than these two: it creates an entire town, chapter by chapter, story by story, each one with a fresh character and point of view. The shifts in perspective are done brilliantly and with care: Stonich helps the readers make the transitions with lovely description and background information.
This is a groundbreaking book. Other books, such as Louise Erdrich's The Bingo Palace, had portrayed a community in a second person plural chorus-like fashion, but I have never read a book with such tightly interwoven stories. At the beginning, it was a collection of short stories; by the end, it was a novel.
Stonich's sense of humor twinkles in her descriptions of the coffee-swilling chorus of old men at the diner, the Prius-driving nature-seeking tourist, or the lackluster high school girl who needs help with her homework assignment. On rare occasions, the book's language can become prose-y and flat, but I attribute that to the vast amount of background information the author must stuff into each story as she introduces new characters.
If you have ever lived in a small town or stayed at a resort, if you appreciate fully drawn characters and good writing, you must read this book.
August 26, 2013
I bought this book to enjoy while vacationing very close to the area in Minnesota it is set in. I spent as much time as I could, under the pines, near the lake, immersed in the intertwining short stories that make up Vacationland.
It was fabulous.
I won't go into a summary, you can read that yourself. But, what I will tell you is that this is a book that beckons to you. I love a book like that. One you want to steal moments reading. One that you will let the pot boil over and the laundry mildew from neglect. You know what I mean. A book that is so good, that it gets my highest rating. Five stars for me means you need a few moments at the end. A moment to sigh and to clutch it to your chest, wishing it would have never ended, but so glad that it did in such a perfect way. A moment to let it sit. To let it settle. I love those moments.
Five stars.
I loved every word of it.
Brava.
It was fabulous.
I won't go into a summary, you can read that yourself. But, what I will tell you is that this is a book that beckons to you. I love a book like that. One you want to steal moments reading. One that you will let the pot boil over and the laundry mildew from neglect. You know what I mean. A book that is so good, that it gets my highest rating. Five stars for me means you need a few moments at the end. A moment to sigh and to clutch it to your chest, wishing it would have never ended, but so glad that it did in such a perfect way. A moment to let it sit. To let it settle. I love those moments.
Five stars.
I loved every word of it.
Brava.
July 10, 2019
There are a lot of things I could say about this. Tour-de-force. A book that deserves attention. For anyone who has ever spent even a night at any lake. Evocative. Transportive.
All that sounds a bit too simple.
What Sarah has done here is not easy. She has created an overlapping narrative, which at the center of it has Naledi, a resort on a lake in the northwoods. It's like six degrees of separation from Kevin Bacon - everyone has a connection with Naledi. Naledi is at the center, and each person depicted touches it - some deeply, some just barely.
Stonich creates characters out of whole cloth like some people bake cookies. She can even do men - nah, especially do men. I love her Rob, her Vac, her Tomas, even in his dying moments (don't worry, I'm not giving anything away here).
This is a difficult narrative style, and it can be difficult for the reader as well. Each chapter will have you, and when you start to see the connections, you're hooked. Line and sinker.
Stay with it. Stonich delivers, in spades.
Reread in 2019: Still amazing. Perhaps even more so, because I caught some things I missed, or perhaps didn't remember. I love this interconnected collection of stories, a novel in stories, wherein Stonich weaves the reader in and out, touching on this person or that. Mostly, they have to do with Meg - her experience or the experience of people she knows. But sometimes, no, it is removed from her. I loved everyone. Wow, that is a feat. Even the adman is redeemed. Each different perspective brings more depth to the story, and as you weave, you go back and forth in time too, so that you truly get all the backstory. You see a person old, or young, then in their prime, then it is all neatly laid out for you, if you care to connect the dots. This is a phenomenal book. Now I can't wait to read the sequel, which fortunately is sitting here waiting for me.
All that sounds a bit too simple.
What Sarah has done here is not easy. She has created an overlapping narrative, which at the center of it has Naledi, a resort on a lake in the northwoods. It's like six degrees of separation from Kevin Bacon - everyone has a connection with Naledi. Naledi is at the center, and each person depicted touches it - some deeply, some just barely.
Stonich creates characters out of whole cloth like some people bake cookies. She can even do men - nah, especially do men. I love her Rob, her Vac, her Tomas, even in his dying moments (don't worry, I'm not giving anything away here).
This is a difficult narrative style, and it can be difficult for the reader as well. Each chapter will have you, and when you start to see the connections, you're hooked. Line and sinker.
Stay with it. Stonich delivers, in spades.
Reread in 2019: Still amazing. Perhaps even more so, because I caught some things I missed, or perhaps didn't remember. I love this interconnected collection of stories, a novel in stories, wherein Stonich weaves the reader in and out, touching on this person or that. Mostly, they have to do with Meg - her experience or the experience of people she knows. But sometimes, no, it is removed from her. I loved everyone. Wow, that is a feat. Even the adman is redeemed. Each different perspective brings more depth to the story, and as you weave, you go back and forth in time too, so that you truly get all the backstory. You see a person old, or young, then in their prime, then it is all neatly laid out for you, if you care to connect the dots. This is a phenomenal book. Now I can't wait to read the sequel, which fortunately is sitting here waiting for me.
July 14, 2013
I started Sarah Stonich’s Vacationland on a trip to Minnesota’s North Shore, somewhat near where the stories in the book take place. But even had I not started the book in the piney, rocky, lake-filled North, I still would have been just as absorbed and captivated by the stories.
I don’t read fiction often, but the positive reviews upon Vacationland’s publication inspired me to get the book. I was not disappointed. Each interrelated, yet standalone, chapter centered on the Naledi resort in fictional Hatchet Inlet, a skipping rock’s throw from Ontario. Vac, the Croatian immigrant who started Naledi and his granddaughter, Meg, form the heart of the stories. Each chapter builds upon the other to reveal another dimension to these main characters. At the same time, each chapter reveals another facet of Naledi and the people tied to that place. Rather than a book that offers a straight-up biography of a character, this book reads like a biography of a place. By the end of the book, I was invested in Naledi’s fate. What would become of this once-thriving resort? What does it mean to be tied to a place?
Stonich offers rich descriptions and vivid imagery. There’s a certain darkness to these stories, which is probably one reason why I enjoyed them so much. Perhaps dark is not the right word—“real” might be more appropriate. There isn’t any candy-coating or white-washing of reality in these stories. The opening chapter centers on a severed hand; that type of situation sets the tone for the entire book. From there we read about a lost girl (whose favorite author is Edward Gorey), sisters contemplating euthanasia, and people estranged from their families for various reasons.
All of the stories are connected to Naledi, and all of the characters are connected to each other. The connections aren’t always obvious, especially since the chapters span decades. Children in one story may pop up as adults in a later story. For the most part I was able to keep all of the connections straight. I did have to put the book away for a couple of weeks, and when I came back it took a little while for me to remember the various connections that had been established. I would recommend reading the book straight through with little pause.
The writing is lyrical and poignant. In “Orientation” Meg says of a decision, “Nothing says it’s forever…but I guess we don’t always love where we need to be.” In “Echolocation” the narrator watches girls dressed like brides, their gowns peppered with paintball stains after a bachelorette party outing, exit a minivan “blooming forth like peonies opening.”
I spent about a half-hour reading this book in a little mom-and-pop bakery in Duluth one Saturday morning. A table of older men gathered there over coffee and doughnuts, each speaking with detectable Old World accents that had filtered down from their parents and grandparents (more than likely Eastern European, as those countries accounted for the bulk of immigrants to northern Minnesota). One of them easily could have been Vac. Stonich’s characters could easily leap off the page and into real life.
In today’s age when luxury condos are what pass for resort getaways, Vacationland invokes nostalgia for a bygone time. Wouldn’t it be nice if Naledi, too, could leap off the page and into real life?
I don’t read fiction often, but the positive reviews upon Vacationland’s publication inspired me to get the book. I was not disappointed. Each interrelated, yet standalone, chapter centered on the Naledi resort in fictional Hatchet Inlet, a skipping rock’s throw from Ontario. Vac, the Croatian immigrant who started Naledi and his granddaughter, Meg, form the heart of the stories. Each chapter builds upon the other to reveal another dimension to these main characters. At the same time, each chapter reveals another facet of Naledi and the people tied to that place. Rather than a book that offers a straight-up biography of a character, this book reads like a biography of a place. By the end of the book, I was invested in Naledi’s fate. What would become of this once-thriving resort? What does it mean to be tied to a place?
Stonich offers rich descriptions and vivid imagery. There’s a certain darkness to these stories, which is probably one reason why I enjoyed them so much. Perhaps dark is not the right word—“real” might be more appropriate. There isn’t any candy-coating or white-washing of reality in these stories. The opening chapter centers on a severed hand; that type of situation sets the tone for the entire book. From there we read about a lost girl (whose favorite author is Edward Gorey), sisters contemplating euthanasia, and people estranged from their families for various reasons.
All of the stories are connected to Naledi, and all of the characters are connected to each other. The connections aren’t always obvious, especially since the chapters span decades. Children in one story may pop up as adults in a later story. For the most part I was able to keep all of the connections straight. I did have to put the book away for a couple of weeks, and when I came back it took a little while for me to remember the various connections that had been established. I would recommend reading the book straight through with little pause.
The writing is lyrical and poignant. In “Orientation” Meg says of a decision, “Nothing says it’s forever…but I guess we don’t always love where we need to be.” In “Echolocation” the narrator watches girls dressed like brides, their gowns peppered with paintball stains after a bachelorette party outing, exit a minivan “blooming forth like peonies opening.”
I spent about a half-hour reading this book in a little mom-and-pop bakery in Duluth one Saturday morning. A table of older men gathered there over coffee and doughnuts, each speaking with detectable Old World accents that had filtered down from their parents and grandparents (more than likely Eastern European, as those countries accounted for the bulk of immigrants to northern Minnesota). One of them easily could have been Vac. Stonich’s characters could easily leap off the page and into real life.
In today’s age when luxury condos are what pass for resort getaways, Vacationland invokes nostalgia for a bygone time. Wouldn’t it be nice if Naledi, too, could leap off the page and into real life?
August 29, 2013
Having grown up in Minnesota, and especially having grown up spending a couple weeks on the Iron Range near Ely every year at my family's cabin, this book made me weep at least a dozen times. Our cabin was one my great-grandfather built, that my grandfather added on to, and that my father had to give up after his dad's death due to rich folks building their lake homes in the area, driving up the cost of taxes to a level we could no longer keep up with. Nearly an 80 year legacy, now in the hands of strangers.
Outside of that important familial yearly rite, there were also many summer trips with my mom's side of the family to Northern Minnesota resorts, to places called Spider Lake, and Whispering Pines, where I made friends and indelible memories (a thirteen year old boy that was the only other kid--I was 9, who picked me water lilies, who took me paddle-boating, who tried to teach me how to "surf" on a nearly still lake, the resort where if you dug in the sand deep enough, you'd hit cool grey-green clay that we fashioned hundreds of things out of, the pinball machines in the lodge, the tadpoles in the swampier area, the hullaballoo over a bear entering camp for someone's bacon leavings, the walking the beach with my grandmother, looking for pretty stones and shells...). Northern Minnesota is a place of deep meaning for me.
So you could say this novel cut to the quick. In several passages, in several characters, I heard the voices of my grandparents, who are all now deceased. In many ways, this book put me back in touch with them, and I am grateful.
Outside of that important familial yearly rite, there were also many summer trips with my mom's side of the family to Northern Minnesota resorts, to places called Spider Lake, and Whispering Pines, where I made friends and indelible memories (a thirteen year old boy that was the only other kid--I was 9, who picked me water lilies, who took me paddle-boating, who tried to teach me how to "surf" on a nearly still lake, the resort where if you dug in the sand deep enough, you'd hit cool grey-green clay that we fashioned hundreds of things out of, the pinball machines in the lodge, the tadpoles in the swampier area, the hullaballoo over a bear entering camp for someone's bacon leavings, the walking the beach with my grandmother, looking for pretty stones and shells...). Northern Minnesota is a place of deep meaning for me.
So you could say this novel cut to the quick. In several passages, in several characters, I heard the voices of my grandparents, who are all now deceased. In many ways, this book put me back in touch with them, and I am grateful.
October 23, 2013
Character and place-driven connected stories make up Vacationland, a book for anyone whose childhood love of a place has persisted through adulthood. While set in small summer resort in northern Minnesota, the actual place is not as important as love of a place, so readers anywhere can identify with this book.
Each well-crafted story shares the perspective of a different character, with the main character, a painter named Meg, followed from childhood and featured in several stories. My least favorite story was the first one; Vacationland stories gradually and gracefully build on each other. Minor characters are finely drawn and get their moments to be seen and at least partially understood. The writing itself is so sure-footed, at times I didn't even notice it; at other times, I paused to appreciate how lovely and evocative Stonich's writing can be.
I read the first half of this book on a plane to a busy meeting, and couldn't wait to get to the second half on the plane ride home. Unlike some short story collections I have only partially read, there was no question I would read all of this book. Stonich makes this an uplifting read by using conversationally driven humor and bubbles of hopefulness to leaven the essentially somber timeline of human lives passing through a particular place.
Each well-crafted story shares the perspective of a different character, with the main character, a painter named Meg, followed from childhood and featured in several stories. My least favorite story was the first one; Vacationland stories gradually and gracefully build on each other. Minor characters are finely drawn and get their moments to be seen and at least partially understood. The writing itself is so sure-footed, at times I didn't even notice it; at other times, I paused to appreciate how lovely and evocative Stonich's writing can be.
I read the first half of this book on a plane to a busy meeting, and couldn't wait to get to the second half on the plane ride home. Unlike some short story collections I have only partially read, there was no question I would read all of this book. Stonich makes this an uplifting read by using conversationally driven humor and bubbles of hopefulness to leaven the essentially somber timeline of human lives passing through a particular place.
June 1, 2013
Vacationland is the perfect book to bring to the cabin to read by the lake. It isn't a plot-driven page turner that you'll finish in two sittings, it's better than that. Stonich develops characters that saturate your mind. And I don't just mean the people in the book, but the places and times as well. Stonich does a beautiful job weaving together the members of Vacationland into a story. Each character is distinct and you end up feeling like you've known each person for years. She does a wonderful job using different narrative styles to bring out each voice. Even the chapters written in third person seem to have a tone that is embedded in the character. A wonderful work of literature.
June 29, 2015
Ok, all you Minnesota readers: on your mark, get set, GO to your public library and get Stonich's book!! Now! Before summer is over and you are not going "up north to the lake" anymore.
I would love to be in a book group that discusses this book. The author weaves the characters from chapter to chapter and across different times to paint a story about a time and place. She has lovely characters who have multi-dimensional lives, and she knows how to set a scene.
What a wonderful summer read!
Thank you, Gail Olson. ;-)
I would love to be in a book group that discusses this book. The author weaves the characters from chapter to chapter and across different times to paint a story about a time and place. She has lovely characters who have multi-dimensional lives, and she knows how to set a scene.
What a wonderful summer read!
Thank you, Gail Olson. ;-)
September 28, 2018
Where did my review go? Boohoo hoo I will write yet another review because this book deserves it. By the way, I too had a Czech grandfather, similar to Vac, strong, quiet and loving.
Update: I don’t know where my review went, but I loved this book.
Update: I don’t know where my review went, but I loved this book.
August 22, 2014
Love love loved this book. First--- the style: interwoven short stories-- each with its own meandering, it's own issues, it's own soul and it's own punch. All of them lending a bit more knowledge and understanding of the central character of this work... Naledi Lodge on a lake in northern Minnesota... a.k.a Vacationland. Which is the second thing I love about this book--- the sense of place as a leading role. There is a perfection with which Stonich captures the essence of northern Minnesota-- land of the Ojibwa and the Scandinavians and the Eastern Europeans not to mention the mosquitoes and the black flies and the bitter cold... And the water. Third is her nonlinear sense of time because sometimes stories are best understood in retrospective so that is how they should be told... As flashbacks that inform our understanding of today. And then there are the people... Stonich has introduced us to a cast of characters who evoke our humor and our annoyance and our patience and our grief... And underneath it all you just gotta love 'em.
All in all... I thoroughly enjoyed every minute I spent reading this book. A vacation in my own reading chair!
All in all... I thoroughly enjoyed every minute I spent reading this book. A vacation in my own reading chair!
July 22, 2014
I grew up and still live in MN town that was a resort town when I was young. Every summer the cabins would fill with ‘boys from the city” and their parents.
This book brought me back to my youth, and brought back the grief of the resorts that sold out and now large monstrosity homes are fill the lot, leaving only a small patch 0f grass around the fortress.
I feel you don’t need to be from a resort area to find the “family” aspect of this book. The resort brought together people from all walks of life and the common thread they had was their love of this area and each other.
Meg, Irsa, Vac, aged sisters traveling to fulfill a fateful pact once made at the resort, a philandering ad man, a lonely Ojibwe stonemason, and a haiku-spouting girl rescued from a bog and all of the characters came together in a book which I thought at first was a collection of short stories, but actually were the ingredients to an amazing recipe of a very satisfying meal of reading.
The Naledi Lodge could be any gathering area of people who wrapped the reader in a blanket of comfort.
This book brought me back to my youth, and brought back the grief of the resorts that sold out and now large monstrosity homes are fill the lot, leaving only a small patch 0f grass around the fortress.
I feel you don’t need to be from a resort area to find the “family” aspect of this book. The resort brought together people from all walks of life and the common thread they had was their love of this area and each other.
Meg, Irsa, Vac, aged sisters traveling to fulfill a fateful pact once made at the resort, a philandering ad man, a lonely Ojibwe stonemason, and a haiku-spouting girl rescued from a bog and all of the characters came together in a book which I thought at first was a collection of short stories, but actually were the ingredients to an amazing recipe of a very satisfying meal of reading.
The Naledi Lodge could be any gathering area of people who wrapped the reader in a blanket of comfort.
June 18, 2013
Just as I loved "These Granite Islands" and "The Ice Chorus", every page of "Vactionland" was quite simply wonderful. I so appreciated Ms. Stonich's delicious sense of humor (at times laughing out loud!) and her ability to deal with difficult topics with sensitivity and acumen. The character studies were impeccable and I was genuinely sad when the book came to an end. Ms. Stonich is an incredibly gifted writer... I sincerely hope that she will continue to share that gift with her readers in the future. I know I will be eagerly awaiting for her next offering!
August 20, 2014
I think this has been my favorite read of 2014! This reminds me of Diane Warren’s “Juliet in August.” While I liked “Juliet” better (Warren has a fewer cast of characters so it’s easier to track) this one remains outstanding. Part of the appeal is that it reminds me of my childhood summers spent at summer resorts with numerous cousins. The other appeal is that the book is well written, with memorable characters, even those Minnesota types we’ve seen in other novels. A 2014 MN Book Award finalist and one can see why.
November 12, 2014
Reading this book felt like a perfect northern Minnesota vacation - a few adventures, quirky people, stunning beauty and lots of time for thoughtful reflection.
The novel centered on a small resort in northern MN that was long past its peak but still held significance for the people who spent time there. Each chapter read like a short story, but eventually the stories were interwoven, building the history of the resort through its occupants. The sweet, heartbreaking and amusing stories were told with the kind of language on which I wanted to linger for hours.
The novel centered on a small resort in northern MN that was long past its peak but still held significance for the people who spent time there. Each chapter read like a short story, but eventually the stories were interwoven, building the history of the resort through its occupants. The sweet, heartbreaking and amusing stories were told with the kind of language on which I wanted to linger for hours.
May 6, 2013
I had a hard time putting it down after purchasing it. The author brought me back to the northern Minnesota that I knew as a child of the 1960's. The 3.2 beer, an ice house going into the lake, everyone knowing everyone's business, and perhaps best of all, the magical blue sky, the changing lake and golden leaves of fall. Well done.
Now I have to buy the rest of Sarah Stonich books and immerse myself in her wonderful characters.
Now I have to buy the rest of Sarah Stonich books and immerse myself in her wonderful characters.
June 9, 2013
If I had stopped reading this book at about 85% of the way through I would have rated it 5+ stars. The only weak point was the way Stonich tied everything together in the end. It seemed a little forced or contrived. That said, however, this is definitely worth reading! I laughed, I cried, I was touched and I was given food for thought. A bonus for me was my shared opinion of much of Stonich's view of life in Minnesota.
September 29, 2013
This collection of short stories that becomes a novel is a true triumph of the narrative voice. Stonich's characters each take a turn revealing their connection to a resort in the north woods of MN. The stories are by turns harrowing, contemplative, and poignant - yet all are told in the author's signature poetic style. A must for book clubs. VACATIONLAND will provide a wealth of discussion material. A five star read.
January 30, 2014
Vacationland was a great book filled with stories within stories. I loved the characters and felt as if I knew just enough about them before Sarah Stonich moved on to another character. Stonich's main character Meg is developed through other peoples' perspectives. Very creative! I am ready to head to Naledi Lodge for a cold beer, lounge in a chair by the water and enjoy a northern Minnesota sunset.
April 27, 2014
This book was a secondary pick for my book group (I picked two because the first was a YA quick read). I chose it from the MN Book Award nominations list - short stories and north shore MN... sounds good! I loved this book. Well developed characters with clear voices work well as members of the short stories and even better in the collection that creates the world of Vacationland. Every time I have recommended it since my read, it has been loved. Thoroughly satisfying.
October 14, 2014
So far - so good! I love Stonich's writing. Colorful, descriptive, evocative. It reminds me of "Freedom", "The Things They Carried" (one chapter anyway....) and the writings of William Kent Krueger. The author knows Northern Minnesota - a place that I know and love too!
What a great read! The characters are authentic and engaging. Stonich uses marvelous language in describing her scenes and environments. I may well read this one again!!
What a great read! The characters are authentic and engaging. Stonich uses marvelous language in describing her scenes and environments. I may well read this one again!!
February 12, 2015
The story (stories) of a resort in the Iron Range of Minnesota. Everything in the book revolves around Vaclav, the now old man who ran the place for a long time, and his granddaughter, Meg. We see both of these characters from several points of view at many different points in time.
I enjoyed the interconnectedness of the sections, but also how much each section stood on its own as a complete story.
I enjoyed the interconnectedness of the sections, but also how much each section stood on its own as a complete story.
May 18, 2013
Excellent! I knew it was a series of short stories before I started it so was not unhappy it was not a novel. The author gets the feel of northern MN and an old resort (now very hard to find) just right and peoples her stories with interesting imperfect people. The writing is lovely, the connections and intersections of each story are skillful done, with neat invisible stitches.
March 2, 2015
This book starts out, it seems, as short stories that all have some connection to a northern Minnesota resort named Naledi. As the book progresses, the connections become closer and closer, and by the end of the book, the chapters all tie together as a novel. I really enjoyed all the characters stories who had ties to this resort and how their stories all came together as one in the end.
December 18, 2015
One reads interconnected vignettes about a summer resort in Northern Minnesota from the eyes of the owners, guests and townsfolk.
Of the 15 woven stories, some deserve a five star rating and others a three star rating. Overall, very well written. Effective and clever use of language without it appearing the author is trying too hard or showing off.
Of the 15 woven stories, some deserve a five star rating and others a three star rating. Overall, very well written. Effective and clever use of language without it appearing the author is trying too hard or showing off.
July 31, 2014
In the heat of summer people escape to a northern Minnesota resort, on the Canadian border known as Naledi. The Naledi resort is a central character in Vacationland and it is a place you will visit again and again. Each story in Vacationland intersects and connects to create a novel with depth, humor and wit.
The owner of the Naledi resort is an old Czech man named Vac Machutova and he raises his son there and then after his son dies in a plane crash, he raises his granddaughter Meg there as well. Meg is present in all of the stories in some way and she is integral to Vacationland. There are 15 short stories that stand alone but interconnect with Meg leading you on your tour of Naledi through the years.
Reading Vacationland, I felt like a visitor at the resort. I knew people by name, who was dating whom, and some of life's tragedies and triumphs. I felt I knew the lake, the land and the landscape, the storms, the bog, the snowdrifts, the wind and even the night sky. Vacationland brought me to a place that felt so close to my heart that I want to return there. I think I need a sequel. I don't think I can let go.
Stonich will dazzle you with her storytelling skills. As a reader you will discover that Stonich is a great writer that is descriptive and crafts her sentences with precision. Each word seems carefully chosen and placed. Sarah Stonich deserves a prize for Vacationland to hang on her wall with the deer antlers because this book is stunning.
I laughed and I cried and discovered I don't want to go home, I want to live in Vacationland forever.
The owner of the Naledi resort is an old Czech man named Vac Machutova and he raises his son there and then after his son dies in a plane crash, he raises his granddaughter Meg there as well. Meg is present in all of the stories in some way and she is integral to Vacationland. There are 15 short stories that stand alone but interconnect with Meg leading you on your tour of Naledi through the years.
Reading Vacationland, I felt like a visitor at the resort. I knew people by name, who was dating whom, and some of life's tragedies and triumphs. I felt I knew the lake, the land and the landscape, the storms, the bog, the snowdrifts, the wind and even the night sky. Vacationland brought me to a place that felt so close to my heart that I want to return there. I think I need a sequel. I don't think I can let go.
Stonich will dazzle you with her storytelling skills. As a reader you will discover that Stonich is a great writer that is descriptive and crafts her sentences with precision. Each word seems carefully chosen and placed. Sarah Stonich deserves a prize for Vacationland to hang on her wall with the deer antlers because this book is stunning.
I laughed and I cried and discovered I don't want to go home, I want to live in Vacationland forever.
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