Spoonwood

Darby Chronicles #6

by Ernest Hebert

Ernest Hebert's series of novels set in Darby, New Hampshire, has been hailed by the Boston Globe as "one of the most interesting accomplishments of contemporary American fiction . . . [a series] into which the texture of class is as skillfully woven as it is in Faulkner's Yoknapatawpha County." After almost fifteen years, Hebert has returned to this rich literary landscape for a new novel of the changing economic and social character of New England.

Hebert's previous Darby novel, Live Free or Die, recounted the ill-fated love between Freddie Elman, son of the town trash collector, and Lilith Salmon, child of Upper Darby gentility. At its conclusion, Lilith died giving birth to their son. As Spoonwood opens, Freddie, consumed by grief and anger and struggling with alcoholism, is not prepared to be a father to Birch. But as both his family and Lilith's begin to maneuver for custody of the child, Freddie embarks on a course of action that satisfies none of them.

Once again, Hebert masterfully conveys the natural and social landscape of contemporary rural New England. Grounded in complex, fully realized characters, Spoonwood offers Hebert's most optimistic vision yet of acceptance and accommodation across class lines.

307 pages, Hardcover

First published August 3, 2005

Reviews

[Ian Rogers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just as Hebert himself stepped away from the Darby series for a decade and a half before writing this book, so too did I take a few years to pick up Spoonwood (Book 6) after finishing Live Free or Die (Book 5). The novel showcases Hebert's willingness to embrace both familiar characters and narration in Part 2 with more wordplay, narrative exploration, mini essays, and even a bit of magical realism in Part 1. The result is something unexpected but very enjoyable, particularly in its character arcs and philosophical discussions. So too does Spoonwood build on the return-to-nature theme built on in earlier Darby novels (I'm mostly looking at you, A Little More Than Kin) for much of its middle section, and like a 2000s-era Swiss Family Robinson, Hebert shows readers the intricacies of a woodland life on the land, using simple tools to forge the conveniences of living, and a way of engaging with the world that's distinctly separate from the modern.

All in all, Spoonwood is a grab bag of different narratives and storylines that come together in a distinct package that's not quite the Darby novels of the 1980s, but close enough that it deserves its place in the series.

[Misha · Rating 4 out of 5]

BookList: Picking up where Live Free or Die (1990) left off, the sixth installment in Hebert's Darby cycle returns to the ordinary lives of the residents of a small New Hampshire town. Trash collector Freddie Elman's love affair with upper-class Lilith Salmon ends when she dies giving birth to their son, Birch. Freddie's doubts about Lilith's fidelity cause him to reject Birch and turn to drink. Eventually, though, Freddie and Birch form a bond, living on the road while Freddie supports them carving spoons he sells to a New York boutique. As in the earlier Darby novels, Hebert uses his characters, particularly Birch in this installment, to explore classic New England themes: the landscape and its relation to individual lives, familial and social grudges, the eternal tension between traditional values and contemporary encroachments. Pair the Darby novels with the New England fiction of Richard Russo; both authors bring the same warmth and wry humor to their stories. -- MishaStone (Reviewed 09-15-2005) (Booklist, vol 102, number 2, p32)

[Andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novel has everything I like. Quirky dynamic characters, an interesting story, a little magic. And it's set in the woods of southwest NH. I really enjoyed this book.

[K Kelley · Rating 3 out of 5]

read for my book club.