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Country People
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40 copies available
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A rollicking work of lyricism and humor, about one family’s tumble into the unknown, from the Pulitzer Prize finalist and bestselling author of
North Woods
Miles Krzelewski is a devoted husband, a doting father beloved for his outlandish bedtime stories, and the proud owner of a truffle-hunting dog in a land with no truffles. He is also a bit lost, twelve years late with his PhD on Russian folktales, and increasingly haunted by a sense that he's become a disappointment to his family. So when his wife Kate accepts a visiting professorship at a prestigious college in the far away forests of Vermont, he decides that this will be his year to finally move forward with his life.
But Miles is a man of many enthusiasms, one who possesses, in Kate’s words, “a great capacity to fall in with anyone, anywhere.” And no sooner does he arrive than he finds himself entangled with a cast of characters as colorful as any of his folktales, from a ghostly tree surgeon to a scythe-mad biochemist, a Shakespearean temptress and a photographer of snowflakes obsessed with chronicling, on thousands of index cards, the world’s delusions in a “Inventory of Wrong Ideas.”
The new friends, the enchanted woods, the sure, no PhD, but all good fun. Until Miles stumbles upon a bizarre—perhaps ridiculous—local legend, which, he soon suspects, might not be just a legend after all.
Joyous, absurd, and life-affirming, Country People is a luminous exploration of marriage and parenthood, the nature of belief and the power of stories, and the ways in which we find connection in an increasingly fragmented world.
Miles Krzelewski is a devoted husband, a doting father beloved for his outlandish bedtime stories, and the proud owner of a truffle-hunting dog in a land with no truffles. He is also a bit lost, twelve years late with his PhD on Russian folktales, and increasingly haunted by a sense that he's become a disappointment to his family. So when his wife Kate accepts a visiting professorship at a prestigious college in the far away forests of Vermont, he decides that this will be his year to finally move forward with his life.
But Miles is a man of many enthusiasms, one who possesses, in Kate’s words, “a great capacity to fall in with anyone, anywhere.” And no sooner does he arrive than he finds himself entangled with a cast of characters as colorful as any of his folktales, from a ghostly tree surgeon to a scythe-mad biochemist, a Shakespearean temptress and a photographer of snowflakes obsessed with chronicling, on thousands of index cards, the world’s delusions in a “Inventory of Wrong Ideas.”
The new friends, the enchanted woods, the sure, no PhD, but all good fun. Until Miles stumbles upon a bizarre—perhaps ridiculous—local legend, which, he soon suspects, might not be just a legend after all.
Joyous, absurd, and life-affirming, Country People is a luminous exploration of marriage and parenthood, the nature of belief and the power of stories, and the ways in which we find connection in an increasingly fragmented world.
320 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication July 7, 2026
41 people are currently reading
32220 people want to read
About the author
Daniel Mason
10 books2,428 followersDaniel Mason is a physician and author of The Piano Tuner (2002), A Far Country (2007), The Winter Soldier (2018), A Registry of My Passage Upon the Earth (2020)--a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize-- and North Woods (2023). His work has been translated into 28 languages, awarded a 2021 Guggenheim Fellowship, the Joyce Carol Oates Prize, the California Book Award, the Northern California Book Award, and a Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts. The Piano Tuner was produced as an opera by Music Theatre Wales for the Royal Opera House in London, and adapted to the stage by Lifeline Theatre in Chicago. His short stories and essays have appeared in The Atlantic, Harper’s, Zoetrope: All Story, Zyzzyva, Narrative, and Lapham’s Quarterly, and have been awarded a Pushcart Prize, a National Magazine Award and an O. Henry Prize. An assistant professor in the Stanford University Department of Psychiatry, his research and teaching interests include the subjective experience of mental illness and the influence of literature, history, and culture on the practice of medicine.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 77 reviews
February 15, 2026
I’m not a very good reader of books described as funny. Sometimes I think I just don’t have a good enough sense of humor because many times I find there’s a lot more serious than funny in these books. The book is very funny at times , but it is also reflects the more serious side of life - chronic illness, that marriage is not always easy even when people love each other, finding out who you are can be a slow process.
The novel reads like a modern day fairy tale. The narration felt like - “once upon a time there was a family who moved from urban California to rural Vermont and this is their adventure - Miles, Kate, Wesley, Olive, and Giuseppe their dog and they lived …. Well I’m not going to tell the ending, but I found the story to be endearing with characters I loved. The literary references were a plus for me.
Kate fits in easily in her academic position and the children seem to fit in well in school and with new friends. Miles is the one who has to work hard every day at connecting with the place - but he buys into it whole heartedly trying to absorb the local culture or rather to be absorbed into it, connecting with nature , with his environment, the people he meets, wanting to know about “country people “. All the while neglecting his unfinished dissertations for twelve years.
I enjoyed the beginning, but it slowed down some in the middle. It was enjoyable enough, but I couldn’t help but think how quirky all of the people that Miles encounters and connects with were . I’m not sure this will be for everyone because there were a number of times when I thought - what ?However, Mason’s writing is as beautiful here as it is in his other novels that I’ve read and that kept me reading. I was going to rate it three stars , but then when I read the epilogue I realized how much this quirky bunch of country people meant to each other and to Miles . He’s a character I’ll remember . Deserving of four stars.
I received a copy of this from Random House through NetGalley.
The novel reads like a modern day fairy tale. The narration felt like - “once upon a time there was a family who moved from urban California to rural Vermont and this is their adventure - Miles, Kate, Wesley, Olive, and Giuseppe their dog and they lived …. Well I’m not going to tell the ending, but I found the story to be endearing with characters I loved. The literary references were a plus for me.
Kate fits in easily in her academic position and the children seem to fit in well in school and with new friends. Miles is the one who has to work hard every day at connecting with the place - but he buys into it whole heartedly trying to absorb the local culture or rather to be absorbed into it, connecting with nature , with his environment, the people he meets, wanting to know about “country people “. All the while neglecting his unfinished dissertations for twelve years.
I enjoyed the beginning, but it slowed down some in the middle. It was enjoyable enough, but I couldn’t help but think how quirky all of the people that Miles encounters and connects with were . I’m not sure this will be for everyone because there were a number of times when I thought - what ?However, Mason’s writing is as beautiful here as it is in his other novels that I’ve read and that kept me reading. I was going to rate it three stars , but then when I read the epilogue I realized how much this quirky bunch of country people meant to each other and to Miles . He’s a character I’ll remember . Deserving of four stars.
I received a copy of this from Random House through NetGalley.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
[2.5 stars] I may end up in the minority for this opinion, but after sitting with it, I really didn't care for this. There are too many ideas in one book, many of which go nowhere or feel unintegrated with the rest of the novel. It didn't help that Miles was a completely unlikeable, insufferable narrator.
At its core, Country People is about an urban family who relocates to Vermont and quickly realises they're out of their depth. Miles has spent a decade chipping away at a PhD (with minimal success) while his wife rises as an acclaimed academic. There are some interesting discussions about community and acclimating to a new environment, but the plot kept taking different turns that had little semblance to the preceding sections.
Conflicts resolve themselves a little too cleanly (particularly the ending), and several plot arcs are left completely unaddressed (). I think Miles was intended to be a bit of a bumbling but charming narrator, but I found him incredibly unlikeable and selfish. The fantastical elements did nothing for me, and the abundance of flat secondary characters didn't embed the town with the vibrancy or life I anticipated.
There are funny moments in this, and I particularly liked Olive as a character, but this wasn't my favourite. It feels like a directionless, contrived story that tries to build suspense at the end, only to dive into two epilogues that resolve everything without a second thought.
Thank you to Random House for the ARC!
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At its core, Country People is about an urban family who relocates to Vermont and quickly realises they're out of their depth. Miles has spent a decade chipping away at a PhD (with minimal success) while his wife rises as an acclaimed academic. There are some interesting discussions about community and acclimating to a new environment, but the plot kept taking different turns that had little semblance to the preceding sections.
Conflicts resolve themselves a little too cleanly (particularly the ending), and several plot arcs are left completely unaddressed (). I think Miles was intended to be a bit of a bumbling but charming narrator, but I found him incredibly unlikeable and selfish. The fantastical elements did nothing for me, and the abundance of flat secondary characters didn't embed the town with the vibrancy or life I anticipated.
There are funny moments in this, and I particularly liked Olive as a character, but this wasn't my favourite. It feels like a directionless, contrived story that tries to build suspense at the end, only to dive into two epilogues that resolve everything without a second thought.
Thank you to Random House for the ARC!
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January 22, 2026
This is a funny book, and I don’t always love funny, but what I loved the most here was the narration. We the reader are told things the characters don’t know and the narration does a bit of 4th wall breaking, or whatever the book equivalent of that is. We also get transcripts from a radio call in show that brilliantly captures the essence of someone and some place in just a single interaction. Ya know, when I finished this book I wasn’t sure if I loved it, but the more I think about it in order to share something about it, I’m realizing how much I really did love this.
Miles goes from wondering is it possible to get a ride from someone in this town to worrying about whom he should ask as to not hurt others’ feelings. Mason is brilliantly helping Miles, and us, realize that we don’t need the answer to all of life’s mysteries, but trying alone can be rewarding in unexpected ways. This is lighter and less weird than North Woods, but it offers the reader much to smile about when it could have dipped into eye roll territory. Well done, again, Daniel Mason.
Miles goes from wondering is it possible to get a ride from someone in this town to worrying about whom he should ask as to not hurt others’ feelings. Mason is brilliantly helping Miles, and us, realize that we don’t need the answer to all of life’s mysteries, but trying alone can be rewarding in unexpected ways. This is lighter and less weird than North Woods, but it offers the reader much to smile about when it could have dipped into eye roll territory. Well done, again, Daniel Mason.
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March 6, 2026A charming, funny, exhilarating Vermont adventure. Miles, Kate, their two young children, and their dog move to Vermont for her job. Miles is 12 years into a Phd about Russian folk tales but he keeps changing his mind about what the focus should be and he (and Kate) hopes the change of scene might help him settle. But the Vermont woods, and then the Vermont snow, and his daughter's school play, and the host of country people he meets, and the strange hollow earth society, and more, mean that Miles and his butterfly mind can do anything but settle.
I loved North Woods, Mason's previous novel, and I can see the crossover: great writing, especially about nature and a lot of characters (plus I appreciated the Easter eggs for those who have read North Woods), but this is in no way a repeat. And as an author who also doesn't like to repeat novels, I really respect that.
I loved North Woods, Mason's previous novel, and I can see the crossover: great writing, especially about nature and a lot of characters (plus I appreciated the Easter eggs for those who have read North Woods), but this is in no way a repeat. And as an author who also doesn't like to repeat novels, I really respect that.
December 30, 2025
Oh my. This was wonderful. Mason creates a labyrinthian world, a cast of players connected in so many ways, like tunnels that tangle and weave under the earth.
Miles and Kate, with children in tow, traverse from California to the rural, wild outskirts of Vermont with Kate, a professor of English literature, on assignment at the local University. As Miles drags his feet on his own ambitions he begins to encounter the seemingly simple “country folk,” only to find that these individuals are far more complex and intriguing than he originally assumed. He finds himself entranced with their lifestyles and becomes totally engrossed in a closely held, if not strange, theory of the locals.
Throughout the novel we are introduced to mysterious stories as told through the lense of a rural radio call-in talk show where lighthearted banter, humor and wit abound. Each caller’s story adds drops to the overall bucket of Mason’s world-building and serve as a creative break from the overall narrative, while still holding relevancy (and oh my goodness does it pay off in the end).
In this novel readers feel the push and pull between logic and magical thinking, the known and unknown, and the notion that maybe these ideas don’t exist in binaries after all.
Received as an ARC from NetGalley.
Miles and Kate, with children in tow, traverse from California to the rural, wild outskirts of Vermont with Kate, a professor of English literature, on assignment at the local University. As Miles drags his feet on his own ambitions he begins to encounter the seemingly simple “country folk,” only to find that these individuals are far more complex and intriguing than he originally assumed. He finds himself entranced with their lifestyles and becomes totally engrossed in a closely held, if not strange, theory of the locals.
Throughout the novel we are introduced to mysterious stories as told through the lense of a rural radio call-in talk show where lighthearted banter, humor and wit abound. Each caller’s story adds drops to the overall bucket of Mason’s world-building and serve as a creative break from the overall narrative, while still holding relevancy (and oh my goodness does it pay off in the end).
In this novel readers feel the push and pull between logic and magical thinking, the known and unknown, and the notion that maybe these ideas don’t exist in binaries after all.
Received as an ARC from NetGalley.
Review of advance copy
I have read several of Daniel Mason’s novels and think he is an extremely talented author. He has consistently delivered, particularly with his last novel, North Woods, which earned an enthusiastic five star rating from me. Unfortunately, I found Country People somewhat disappointing. It’s a comic novel and the humor is hit or miss, at times clever, but at times either silly or bordering on the absurd. The novel takes place in Vermont and, living in Boston, I love a New England -based novel. In Massachusetts we often think of Vermont as our eccentric cousin and, before any feathers are ruffled, I mean that in a most positive and affectionate way. Mason plays up the perceived eccentricity of rural America and fills his book with a motley group of odd characters and an increasingly absurd storyline. It’s mostly all fun, and I think many readers will enjoy it. Sadly, it didn’t totally work for me. There’s a lot going on, a little too much, although I suspect that was the intention and part of the comic element. I felt that the real strength of the novel, and where Mason excels, is in his depiction of the transplanted family and their adjustment from city life to life in a small rural college town. All in all, despite its flaws, I would recommend this novel. Mason is always worth reading.
Thanks to NetGalley and Hogarth & Random
Thanks to NetGalley and Hogarth & Random
January 9, 2026
I loved this.
Miles and Kate, two kids, and dog are off to Vermont. Which isn't too far off from that other place in the woods. Kate has just taken a visiting professorship and Miles is working on his PhD in Russian folklore.
That's how we begin. We get a house with a personality. A wide range of neighbors with different backgrounds and stories. An adventurous dog. Kids with their own big personalities. An interesting radio show. And a mystery about a man and his thoughts of the world that is slowly explored by this cast of characters.
This doesn't come out till July 14th ( thank you
@randomhousebooks) but l'm gonna need another book with another neighboring state.
This one is definitely North Woods adjacent.
I kind of devoured this.
People are in for a treat here!
Miles and Kate, two kids, and dog are off to Vermont. Which isn't too far off from that other place in the woods. Kate has just taken a visiting professorship and Miles is working on his PhD in Russian folklore.
That's how we begin. We get a house with a personality. A wide range of neighbors with different backgrounds and stories. An adventurous dog. Kids with their own big personalities. An interesting radio show. And a mystery about a man and his thoughts of the world that is slowly explored by this cast of characters.
This doesn't come out till July 14th ( thank you
@randomhousebooks) but l'm gonna need another book with another neighboring state.
This one is definitely North Woods adjacent.
I kind of devoured this.
People are in for a treat here!
January 23, 2026
Started off very strong for me - a family of 5 (mom, dad, son, daughter, dog) move from a Northern California college town to a Southern Vermont college town and a bit of culture shock ensues. Each of our characters is charming and it’s certainly fun (often funny) reading about them finding their way in a new environment. Daniel Mason is a wonderful writer and his descriptions of rural living are great - it often had me reminiscing on my college days in Western Massachusetts. All of that said, the book does drag a bit in the middle, but picks back up by the end. I also think we could’ve gone a bit deeper with each character or honestly just going deeper with our main narrator (the dad) would’ve been enough. Overall I enjoyed it!
You don’t have to have read North Woods to enjoy Country People but Mason drops a couple of fun easter eggs in Country People for those of us who’ve read North Woods.
Thanks to PRH for the advanced copy - such an honor to get to read Country People before its publication this July.
You don’t have to have read North Woods to enjoy Country People but Mason drops a couple of fun easter eggs in Country People for those of us who’ve read North Woods.
Thanks to PRH for the advanced copy - such an honor to get to read Country People before its publication this July.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Loved the writing style and loved the first 70% of the book. Then it was just trying to do too many things at once, then it just ended.
January 28, 2026
"Country people. It does seem hard to write about the topic when you haven’t lived in the country yourself.”
This is teetering more towards four stars, simply because it's brilliantly written, but I'm also just not smart enough to understand the complexity of it, so I have to give it a very personal three stars. 3.75 if Goodreads would hire an intern to make half stars already.
There are comparisons between Tolstoy and scything for apples, naming your kids Pelageia (Chekhov), comparisons between being a biochemist or a much loved college professor teaching classic literature, and many names and locations I'm just not witty or wise enough to understand.
Miles and Kate move to Virginia from California (Redwood City to be exact, close to Stanford where Daniel Mason is an Associate Professor of Psychiatry, because of course), with their two kids, who seem to be nine and five? Or is it 25 and 20? Cause they're smarter than me in many parts of this book. They move from the city life to a rural life, and there are parts of this book that is a love letter to the different expanses of American life. How beautiful it can be, when humans are not being destructive.
Yes, I did laugh, and I actually understood what this meant:
"What You Made Me Do’: Fyodor (Dostoyevsky) and Taylor (Swift).” Cause who doesn't know a Swiftie lyric when they see it?
Discussions of processed foods versus farm raised:
"Raised in the land of the unprocessed and organic, attending public schools that maintained their own gardens, never had the children tasted of the Slurpee, the Twinkie, or the Pepperoni Pizza Cracker. Pringles they knew, but only at a distance."
I know there's going to be a nice group of people who will absolutely love this book, all who are much wiser than me. For now, I will admit my middle aged self just couldn't appreciate it as much as I should have.
This is teetering more towards four stars, simply because it's brilliantly written, but I'm also just not smart enough to understand the complexity of it, so I have to give it a very personal three stars. 3.75 if Goodreads would hire an intern to make half stars already.
There are comparisons between Tolstoy and scything for apples, naming your kids Pelageia (Chekhov), comparisons between being a biochemist or a much loved college professor teaching classic literature, and many names and locations I'm just not witty or wise enough to understand.
Miles and Kate move to Virginia from California (Redwood City to be exact, close to Stanford where Daniel Mason is an Associate Professor of Psychiatry, because of course), with their two kids, who seem to be nine and five? Or is it 25 and 20? Cause they're smarter than me in many parts of this book. They move from the city life to a rural life, and there are parts of this book that is a love letter to the different expanses of American life. How beautiful it can be, when humans are not being destructive.
Yes, I did laugh, and I actually understood what this meant:
"What You Made Me Do’: Fyodor (Dostoyevsky) and Taylor (Swift).” Cause who doesn't know a Swiftie lyric when they see it?
Discussions of processed foods versus farm raised:
"Raised in the land of the unprocessed and organic, attending public schools that maintained their own gardens, never had the children tasted of the Slurpee, the Twinkie, or the Pepperoni Pizza Cracker. Pringles they knew, but only at a distance."
I know there's going to be a nice group of people who will absolutely love this book, all who are much wiser than me. For now, I will admit my middle aged self just couldn't appreciate it as much as I should have.
February 9, 2026
thank you to netgalley for the arc
the title of this book aptly describes the story - a family moves from urban california out into rural vermont. the story centers around the father, miles, and his family including his wife kate and their two children olive and wesley.
miles is directionless. he is in his mid forties and has not finished his phd dissertation. he has changed the focus of his study over a dozen times. he thinks this move will give him time to focus on his newest topic - russian peasants in literature - while his wife soars in her academic career as a guest professor in a prestigious school.
what we get instead of miles’ finishing what he started is miles wandering through life and seeing the family bumble through incorporating into this small town. miles is a frustrating character to follow as many ideas are brought up but there’s no follow through on most of them. the fantastical element to this story lends a more whimsical mood to the “plot” (there is no plot) but cannot overcome the experience of following such a frustrating and annoying character as this man.
that all being said, the writing is beautiful and even charming at times. i would have loved it more if it was about anyone else in this story other than MILES
the title of this book aptly describes the story - a family moves from urban california out into rural vermont. the story centers around the father, miles, and his family including his wife kate and their two children olive and wesley.
miles is directionless. he is in his mid forties and has not finished his phd dissertation. he has changed the focus of his study over a dozen times. he thinks this move will give him time to focus on his newest topic - russian peasants in literature - while his wife soars in her academic career as a guest professor in a prestigious school.
what we get instead of miles’ finishing what he started is miles wandering through life and seeing the family bumble through incorporating into this small town. miles is a frustrating character to follow as many ideas are brought up but there’s no follow through on most of them. the fantastical element to this story lends a more whimsical mood to the “plot” (there is no plot) but cannot overcome the experience of following such a frustrating and annoying character as this man.
that all being said, the writing is beautiful and even charming at times. i would have loved it more if it was about anyone else in this story other than MILES
Want to read
December 16, 2025Anticipated literary fiction!
Many thanks to NetGalley, Random House Publisher and the author, Daniel Mason for sending me this eARC.
Publication date: July 7, 2026
Many thanks to NetGalley, Random House Publisher and the author, Daniel Mason for sending me this eARC.
Publication date: July 7, 2026
January 25, 2026
4.5/5 ⭐️
Daniel Mason is truly a master of the craft. For lovers of North Woods, there’s lots to love in Country People- beautiful and mysterious New England landscapes, folklore, complicated family dynamics. His writing is page-turning as always and Country People even takes many comedic turns.
I will admit though there’s something unsatisfying in the ending. We get answers, but our little family does not, and the tensions between them are resolved with too little effort. I’m left thinking I’ve finished a great book, but not an all time favorite.
Thank you to Net Galley for the ARC. This is my honest review.
Daniel Mason is truly a master of the craft. For lovers of North Woods, there’s lots to love in Country People- beautiful and mysterious New England landscapes, folklore, complicated family dynamics. His writing is page-turning as always and Country People even takes many comedic turns.
I will admit though there’s something unsatisfying in the ending. We get answers, but our little family does not, and the tensions between them are resolved with too little effort. I’m left thinking I’ve finished a great book, but not an all time favorite.
Thank you to Net Galley for the ARC. This is my honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Miles, Kate, their children, and their truffle hunting dog, move from California for Kate to be a visiting professor in the English department of a small, prestigious, liberal arts college, and where Miles will once again take up his long overdue PhD dissertation on Russian folktales. This is a captivating and witty fish out of water story. It also becomes a story of the quirky cast of characters in their rural Vermont town, who are a lot of fun, but keep MIles from his dissertation; as well as a local legend about a world hidden beyond a cave which draws Miles (and the truffle dog) under its spell. This is a lyrical, layered, laugh out loud funny novel, concerned with marriage, parenthood, the power of stories, rural life and academia. I loved it and could not stop reading.
January 25, 2026
For fans of finding humor in the day to day, hearing strangers’ stories, wandering through nature’s charming enchantments, letting part of yourself believe in the make-believe, and the comfort of a scruffy, mischievous canine.
Miles Krzelewski’s wife, Kate, gets a job offer to be a visiting professor at a college in Vermont, so the couple, their two children, and the family dog leave California and head across the country. Miles hopes that time in a rural area will finally give him the time and motivation he needs to finish his dissertation on Russian folktales that he’s been working on for 12 years. However, upon arrival in Vermont, Miles instead becomes distracted by and fascinated with small town life and the array of interesting people he meets.
I think to say anything more would ruin the experience of reading this one. It’s fairly light on plot (albeit there is an interesting one that develops) and largely focuses on a fantastic cast of characters, all of which I found to be delightful. Miles, Kate, their children Wesley and Olive, their dog Giuseppe, and every person they meet in their new town. Loved them all.
Mason’s writing (as expected) is wonderfully intelligent while being simultaneously hilarious. The tone of this novel; honestly, it’s one of the funniest books I’ve ever read. But there is also a lot of heart to, exploring love, family, community, and the ways in which storytelling connects us. Truly, I loved it and I can definitely see myself reading it again later this year.
For North Woods fans, I think of Country People as a different type of tree, but in the same forest.
Miles Krzelewski’s wife, Kate, gets a job offer to be a visiting professor at a college in Vermont, so the couple, their two children, and the family dog leave California and head across the country. Miles hopes that time in a rural area will finally give him the time and motivation he needs to finish his dissertation on Russian folktales that he’s been working on for 12 years. However, upon arrival in Vermont, Miles instead becomes distracted by and fascinated with small town life and the array of interesting people he meets.
I think to say anything more would ruin the experience of reading this one. It’s fairly light on plot (albeit there is an interesting one that develops) and largely focuses on a fantastic cast of characters, all of which I found to be delightful. Miles, Kate, their children Wesley and Olive, their dog Giuseppe, and every person they meet in their new town. Loved them all.
Mason’s writing (as expected) is wonderfully intelligent while being simultaneously hilarious. The tone of this novel; honestly, it’s one of the funniest books I’ve ever read. But there is also a lot of heart to, exploring love, family, community, and the ways in which storytelling connects us. Truly, I loved it and I can definitely see myself reading it again later this year.
For North Woods fans, I think of Country People as a different type of tree, but in the same forest.
January 22, 2026
Country People is as it is titled: A book about country people, from the perspective of a family of those not wholly familiar with what that entails. A husband and wife, and their two children, move to Vermont for a job opportunity for the wife at a pretentious university, and all four of them build uniquely quaint and quirky relationships to the place and the people.
Daniel Mason, from what I have read in this book and his previous book North Woods, seems to like to do a lot of experimenting with different form and dynamics in his writing, and I find that is where he loses me a little. The book slowly adds in more and more characters, each kookier than the last, each with their own polarizing personalities and strange lore, and it quickly spirals into an exhausting cast of somewhat unfulfilled narratives, leaving the reader feeling about as uninspired with the book as Miles, our main character, is with his thesis. Maybe I am just too anti-social for this much dispersion of character work, and too tired to care about the things a mediocre husband and father makes up in his free time, free time that in this novel he has too much of. I do think a lot of people will still love this though, it gives off strong potential for a non-polarizing bestseller pick.
Daniel Mason, from what I have read in this book and his previous book North Woods, seems to like to do a lot of experimenting with different form and dynamics in his writing, and I find that is where he loses me a little. The book slowly adds in more and more characters, each kookier than the last, each with their own polarizing personalities and strange lore, and it quickly spirals into an exhausting cast of somewhat unfulfilled narratives, leaving the reader feeling about as uninspired with the book as Miles, our main character, is with his thesis. Maybe I am just too anti-social for this much dispersion of character work, and too tired to care about the things a mediocre husband and father makes up in his free time, free time that in this novel he has too much of. I do think a lot of people will still love this though, it gives off strong potential for a non-polarizing bestseller pick.
February 4, 2026
good book! fun characters. at no point did i know where it was going but i liked the message of enjoying things just to enjoy things. i loved how he rotated from scything to skiing before he finally landed on this secret underground world. plus the kid characters were engaging and hilarious. i loved the overall message finding and enjoying a bigger purpose than yourself. really amazing book. thank you for the ARC!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Want to read
November 19, 2025omg
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Illustrative of Mason never writing the same book twice, Country People is, unlike his intensely dramatic oeuvre (so far—even if North Woods had some levity), an erudite comedy brimming with yarns and fables, myths and mysteries, secrets and ancient allegories.
Eccentric characters leap from the pages, including a most lovable, truffle-hunting, Italian dog (Lagotto Romagnolo) named Giuseppi. If you asked me the plot, I’m likely to say that it’s charmingly askew; if you ask who’s the hero of the story, it’s definitely Giuseppi!
We are transported to a rural Vermont village, where Kate, a PhD of English Lit and a courageous woman fighting multiple sclerosis (now in remission many years) accepts a position at the local college. She and fam move from California. Husband Miles is jobless Mr. Mom, the procrastinating ABD in Russian folktales.
Does he really want to pursue what he has delayed—his PhD at age forty-five? Their young son, Wesley, and precocious daughter, Olive, keep him busy and happy, truly a calling. If I were a fictional character and middle-aged, I’d pine for Miles for the rest of my storybook life.
Less a plot and more like linear-ish vignettes of the Krzelewski family, the narrative introduces us to various quirky characters. There’s Bentley, the wheelchiar-bound giant of a man whose van full of index cards invites a Dewey Decimal of all the wrong ideas and false beliefs so far known to man. He is also, like his non-biological predecessor, Wilson “Snowflake” Bentley, known to photograph a snowflake or a thousand.
Learn to ski? Go “Bjorning” with that handsome, neurotic championship skiier, Bjorn. Andrei is scythe-bearing and slow to trust others. There’s a countless oddball cast frolicking in and out of the story. Meanwhile, Giuseppi's digging and truffle hunting will lead us to a place that surprises everyone, characters and readers alike!
Interruptions in the narrative include a radio show, The Miscellaneous Minute, (which lasts an hour) which has daily and wildly diverse topics. There’s a concupiscent art director, Nausicaä, directing an elementary school class in A Midsummer Night’s Dream (would be banned here in Texas, I’m certain!).
Oh, and there’s a band of merry fellows and gals from this colorful cast who meet as a secret society to regularly discuss a 461 page historical text called Colloquies, which is best characterized, in this story, as a form of modern hermeneutics.
And it's not the flat earthers you need to worry about here--it's the hollow earthers, somewhere probably far south of the middle earthers.
Brainy (and sometimes obscure) in its allusions (I am no scholar), I did feel vibes of Plato, Tolkien, John Irving, Leo Tolstoy, Thomas Pynchon without the cynicism, a little bit Nabokov, a side of Gary Shteyngart, a nod to Richard Russo, a wink to Dante, and I’m not familiar enough with Milton—but the narrative does mention him a lot. Oh, and of course, comedic Russian folktales with a peppering of magic. And the Bard. You’ll find more if you’re a wink wiser than me.
I recommend just to open the book and follow the pages. If Miles was an archetype, he’d be the Fool in the Tarot deck, which is, in this context, a compliment. He’s good-natured, loyal, accepting, and endlessly curious. Achingly lovable, he plunges passionately (with restraint) into his new life with the country people. Miles isn’t knock-kneed or fumbling; he just thinks he is. Everyone is welcome. This book contains multitudes.
“...in addition to the world manifestly before us, there existed something one might call a Mystery, at times yielding its secrets, at times holding them more closely.”
Thank you endlessly to Random House for sending me a print copy for review.
Eccentric characters leap from the pages, including a most lovable, truffle-hunting, Italian dog (Lagotto Romagnolo) named Giuseppi. If you asked me the plot, I’m likely to say that it’s charmingly askew; if you ask who’s the hero of the story, it’s definitely Giuseppi!
We are transported to a rural Vermont village, where Kate, a PhD of English Lit and a courageous woman fighting multiple sclerosis (now in remission many years) accepts a position at the local college. She and fam move from California. Husband Miles is jobless Mr. Mom, the procrastinating ABD in Russian folktales.
Does he really want to pursue what he has delayed—his PhD at age forty-five? Their young son, Wesley, and precocious daughter, Olive, keep him busy and happy, truly a calling. If I were a fictional character and middle-aged, I’d pine for Miles for the rest of my storybook life.
Less a plot and more like linear-ish vignettes of the Krzelewski family, the narrative introduces us to various quirky characters. There’s Bentley, the wheelchiar-bound giant of a man whose van full of index cards invites a Dewey Decimal of all the wrong ideas and false beliefs so far known to man. He is also, like his non-biological predecessor, Wilson “Snowflake” Bentley, known to photograph a snowflake or a thousand.
Learn to ski? Go “Bjorning” with that handsome, neurotic championship skiier, Bjorn. Andrei is scythe-bearing and slow to trust others. There’s a countless oddball cast frolicking in and out of the story. Meanwhile, Giuseppi's digging and truffle hunting will lead us to a place that surprises everyone, characters and readers alike!
Interruptions in the narrative include a radio show, The Miscellaneous Minute, (which lasts an hour) which has daily and wildly diverse topics. There’s a concupiscent art director, Nausicaä, directing an elementary school class in A Midsummer Night’s Dream (would be banned here in Texas, I’m certain!).
Oh, and there’s a band of merry fellows and gals from this colorful cast who meet as a secret society to regularly discuss a 461 page historical text called Colloquies, which is best characterized, in this story, as a form of modern hermeneutics.
And it's not the flat earthers you need to worry about here--it's the hollow earthers, somewhere probably far south of the middle earthers.
Brainy (and sometimes obscure) in its allusions (I am no scholar), I did feel vibes of Plato, Tolkien, John Irving, Leo Tolstoy, Thomas Pynchon without the cynicism, a little bit Nabokov, a side of Gary Shteyngart, a nod to Richard Russo, a wink to Dante, and I’m not familiar enough with Milton—but the narrative does mention him a lot. Oh, and of course, comedic Russian folktales with a peppering of magic. And the Bard. You’ll find more if you’re a wink wiser than me.
I recommend just to open the book and follow the pages. If Miles was an archetype, he’d be the Fool in the Tarot deck, which is, in this context, a compliment. He’s good-natured, loyal, accepting, and endlessly curious. Achingly lovable, he plunges passionately (with restraint) into his new life with the country people. Miles isn’t knock-kneed or fumbling; he just thinks he is. Everyone is welcome. This book contains multitudes.
“...in addition to the world manifestly before us, there existed something one might call a Mystery, at times yielding its secrets, at times holding them more closely.”
Thank you endlessly to Random House for sending me a print copy for review.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Daniel Mason’s writing and story telling abilities never cease to amaze and captivate me, and this novel is probably my most favorite of all his work. The novel describes modern small-town American life and culture, but with an ancient theme intertwined into the modern ones.
The main characters are members of an academic family: Kate (mom and well known Milton scholar); Miles (dad, working on his PhD dissertation for 15 years with almost as many different topics); Wesley (7th grade boy, very bright and into details of the world); Olive (3rd grade girl, loves art); and Giuseppe (the family dog, bred to hunt/dig truffles). The reader meets the family as they have left their urban California home and lifestyle and are driving across the US to Vermont, where Kate has accepted a one year visiting professorship. Their trip across the US is incredibly humorous and completely real. If you have ever been on a family toad trip, you will know that Danile Mason captured all aspects of such an event perfectly and humorously.
The family arrives in a small town in Vermont and marvels at all aspects of “the country”: the small country house, all the forests and countryside, the country vegetable stands, and, most importantly, the country people. They are living free of charge in the house of a professor on leave, and the soon begin to experience some of the reasons why this “country house” might be less than idyllic (i.e. pests), which causes them to start to interact with the country people who inhabit the small town. Their interaction with the community grows more extensive when Wesley and Olive attend school. Kate becomes immersed in her academic life and new university friends. Miles will do just about anything to avoid his dissertation, and he makes many new and unique friends. Giuseppe is one of the best family dog characters ever!
Daniel Mason uses this background to create a cast of unique characters, who perfectly fill the roles of all the people who inhabit America – from completely eccentric (or really just normal?!) to apparently normal (but what its that, really?). There was a great deal of humor, but, of course, also a great deal of seriousness, because this was an excellent portrayal of a small town in the US.
The character of Miles is followed most completely. His latest dissertation topic is Russian folktales, and (although he avoids his dissertation), Miles is an incredible teller of imaginary tales to his children. In addition, he becomes friends with a group of people who believe in the existence of a magnificent world inside the earth, entered by a hidden cave near the town. Thus the theme of the underworld and tales related thereto is developed. From Hell (referenced by Kate’s poet Milton) to the beautiful underworld said to exist below the Vermont town, the ancient concept of the existence of an underworld brings a great depth and creativity to the novel.
There were many literary references in the novel, from Tolstoy to Shakespeare to Milton. We see literary references in many novels. In this case, however, the references often created played heavily into the plot of the novel. Very enjoyable!
Several things will remain with me from this novel: The beauty and creativity of the novel are outstanding; the descriptions of everyday life juxtaposed with myth and tales were extremely special; and Mason’s description of a family and the humor and tragedy in their every-day lives were excellently portrayed.
The main characters are members of an academic family: Kate (mom and well known Milton scholar); Miles (dad, working on his PhD dissertation for 15 years with almost as many different topics); Wesley (7th grade boy, very bright and into details of the world); Olive (3rd grade girl, loves art); and Giuseppe (the family dog, bred to hunt/dig truffles). The reader meets the family as they have left their urban California home and lifestyle and are driving across the US to Vermont, where Kate has accepted a one year visiting professorship. Their trip across the US is incredibly humorous and completely real. If you have ever been on a family toad trip, you will know that Danile Mason captured all aspects of such an event perfectly and humorously.
The family arrives in a small town in Vermont and marvels at all aspects of “the country”: the small country house, all the forests and countryside, the country vegetable stands, and, most importantly, the country people. They are living free of charge in the house of a professor on leave, and the soon begin to experience some of the reasons why this “country house” might be less than idyllic (i.e. pests), which causes them to start to interact with the country people who inhabit the small town. Their interaction with the community grows more extensive when Wesley and Olive attend school. Kate becomes immersed in her academic life and new university friends. Miles will do just about anything to avoid his dissertation, and he makes many new and unique friends. Giuseppe is one of the best family dog characters ever!
Daniel Mason uses this background to create a cast of unique characters, who perfectly fill the roles of all the people who inhabit America – from completely eccentric (or really just normal?!) to apparently normal (but what its that, really?). There was a great deal of humor, but, of course, also a great deal of seriousness, because this was an excellent portrayal of a small town in the US.
The character of Miles is followed most completely. His latest dissertation topic is Russian folktales, and (although he avoids his dissertation), Miles is an incredible teller of imaginary tales to his children. In addition, he becomes friends with a group of people who believe in the existence of a magnificent world inside the earth, entered by a hidden cave near the town. Thus the theme of the underworld and tales related thereto is developed. From Hell (referenced by Kate’s poet Milton) to the beautiful underworld said to exist below the Vermont town, the ancient concept of the existence of an underworld brings a great depth and creativity to the novel.
There were many literary references in the novel, from Tolstoy to Shakespeare to Milton. We see literary references in many novels. In this case, however, the references often created played heavily into the plot of the novel. Very enjoyable!
Several things will remain with me from this novel: The beauty and creativity of the novel are outstanding; the descriptions of everyday life juxtaposed with myth and tales were extremely special; and Mason’s description of a family and the humor and tragedy in their every-day lives were excellently portrayed.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Something different for Daniel Mason: a comedy. Miles and Kate, a pair of college professors, uproot themselves and their two kids, Wesley and Olive, from a southern California college town (which sounds rather like Stanford, where Mason teaches) to southern Vermont, where Kate has been invited to fill a visiting professorship at a small college. From the sun-dried atmosphere of west coast academia, they drive slowly across the middle west, where Olive uses up all the brown crayons she has, until she cracks open the all the green ones when they reach New England. There they settle into a tight, cozy little college community among "country people." Miles, who is twelve years into allegedly writing a dissertation on Russian peasant folklore, pretends he is going to finally finish it, and hopes that he will gain insights from the local Vermonters, as he has never met an actual "peasant." His wife slots right into the academic clique, and the kids quickly find their niches with art class, skiing, and gaming. Miles is left to putter and ferry the kids, deal with a rodent infestation and a highly enthusiastic truffle dog.
Culture conflict is a story staple, and it gets plenty of play here. As someone who heaved a huge sigh of relief to leave Chicago in the rear view mirror and settle into the geometric center of Kansas, I get it. The native Vermonters initially present as rubes, eccentrics, men who stand around discussing their lawn tractors, and Miles has no idea how to talk to them. Fortunately, Mason can poke as much fun at Miles and Kate as he does at the "country people." It is also clear that the academic environment is largely the same, no matter which coast you're on, or near. For example, Kate's class on Milton (on whom she is an expert) attracts three students; dozens opt for her class in memoir, but most drop out when they discover that they will not be writing about themselves but studying classical examples from the seventeenth century. Then Miles literally stumbles into a meeting of enthusiasts believing in a local legend of an alternative underground universe, promulgated by a nineteenth century resident. They are gently cheerful, pleasant people, with some real loons among them. But somehow they become Miles's community, which he is embarrassed to admit to his wife. This part of the novel goes a little silly, and long. Mason sets up some likable characters, his wit is crisp and not mean, and it's been a wryly amusing read which made me smile if not laugh. Then it seems to wane into the faintly ridiculous, proceeds into a drama of a lost child, and then just trails off into two odd epilogues.
Mason is a wonderful writer. This is a pleasantly enjoyable story that wanders off in the final third. But he is capable of so much more, and doesn't use it to his best ability here.
Culture conflict is a story staple, and it gets plenty of play here. As someone who heaved a huge sigh of relief to leave Chicago in the rear view mirror and settle into the geometric center of Kansas, I get it. The native Vermonters initially present as rubes, eccentrics, men who stand around discussing their lawn tractors, and Miles has no idea how to talk to them. Fortunately, Mason can poke as much fun at Miles and Kate as he does at the "country people." It is also clear that the academic environment is largely the same, no matter which coast you're on, or near. For example, Kate's class on Milton (on whom she is an expert) attracts three students; dozens opt for her class in memoir, but most drop out when they discover that they will not be writing about themselves but studying classical examples from the seventeenth century. Then Miles literally stumbles into a meeting of enthusiasts believing in a local legend of an alternative underground universe, promulgated by a nineteenth century resident. They are gently cheerful, pleasant people, with some real loons among them. But somehow they become Miles's community, which he is embarrassed to admit to his wife. This part of the novel goes a little silly, and long. Mason sets up some likable characters, his wit is crisp and not mean, and it's been a wryly amusing read which made me smile if not laugh. Then it seems to wane into the faintly ridiculous, proceeds into a drama of a lost child, and then just trails off into two odd epilogues.
Mason is a wonderful writer. This is a pleasantly enjoyable story that wanders off in the final third. But he is capable of so much more, and doesn't use it to his best ability here.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
A family of four travel from the comfort of liberal California to the country, Vermont when Kate, the mom, takes the opportunity to be the visiting English professor at a renowned college. Miles, the dad, is still working on his PhD on Russian folktales – it’s taken about a dozen years, he’s still struggling to finish it. With the advent of a couple of kids, he’s willingly taken on the bigger caregiver role, taking a back seat while Kate moves forward with her academic career. Their kids Olive and Wesley, and their dog Guiseppe round out the crew. So maybe this year in the country, will be the perfect time for Miles to finish up his thesis and live up to his potential to make his family (ie. his parents) and wife proud.
While Kate gets settled into work, Miles continues his stay-at-home Dad duties, including school drop offs, running errands, and exploring with his trusty Guiseppe at his side (the author had me at Guiseppe – gotta love a dog with that name!). But rather than focus on his writing, something always gets in his way and there are distractions galore, as he gets to know the neighbourhood, town, countryside, meeting the most interesting folks. Kate encourages him to get out, she knows her husband well enough to know he needs the social interaction. Miles also gets involved with the school, the parents, who are very different than their California equivalents, and even gets invited to secret meetings with locals who are in search of evidence of local legend.
I can’t do any of the characters justice, each one of them is so different and unexpected, and I often laughed out loud reading what was going through Miles’ mind as he made his own judgements and measured people up. It is so often hilarious, and yet very realistic in the day to day – having spent some of my own time as a stay-at-home parent, with my identity quite tied to work/career, I found the perspective of Miles’ Dad experience very refreshing. Also, the very clever use of the radio phone-in shows dialogue– so true to life, when you’re in and out of the car!
And finally, the way the marriage was portrayed, with basic insecurities even after a couple has been together for a very long time. The author weaves in some serious bits about health, scares with the kids, what love and dedication mean, but not in a dramatic way, just very realistically, as life is like that.
This was a solid 4 for me (I would have given 4.5 stars but not quite a 5 because some of the pacing I found a little slow.)
Thanks to the author, Random House and Netgalley for the advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review. Planned publication date is July 2026.
While Kate gets settled into work, Miles continues his stay-at-home Dad duties, including school drop offs, running errands, and exploring with his trusty Guiseppe at his side (the author had me at Guiseppe – gotta love a dog with that name!). But rather than focus on his writing, something always gets in his way and there are distractions galore, as he gets to know the neighbourhood, town, countryside, meeting the most interesting folks. Kate encourages him to get out, she knows her husband well enough to know he needs the social interaction. Miles also gets involved with the school, the parents, who are very different than their California equivalents, and even gets invited to secret meetings with locals who are in search of evidence of local legend.
I can’t do any of the characters justice, each one of them is so different and unexpected, and I often laughed out loud reading what was going through Miles’ mind as he made his own judgements and measured people up. It is so often hilarious, and yet very realistic in the day to day – having spent some of my own time as a stay-at-home parent, with my identity quite tied to work/career, I found the perspective of Miles’ Dad experience very refreshing. Also, the very clever use of the radio phone-in shows dialogue– so true to life, when you’re in and out of the car!
And finally, the way the marriage was portrayed, with basic insecurities even after a couple has been together for a very long time. The author weaves in some serious bits about health, scares with the kids, what love and dedication mean, but not in a dramatic way, just very realistically, as life is like that.
This was a solid 4 for me (I would have given 4.5 stars but not quite a 5 because some of the pacing I found a little slow.)
Thanks to the author, Random House and Netgalley for the advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review. Planned publication date is July 2026.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Within the pages of Daniel Mason’s joyous and raucous and at times fantastical new novel, readers will touch upon many literary references: Milton and Blake, Tolstoy, the Bard himself, among others.
But to me, one line from my literary past kept haunting my reading and it’s from Act 1, Scene 5 of Shakespeare’s play, Hamlet, delivered to Horatio: “There are more things in Heaven and Earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.”
What Hamlet is saying is that the human imagination is limited and there are many things we don’t know or haven’t discovered and in fact, haven’t even dreamt of. And that, I believe, is the theme of Daniel Mason’s novel. Here we meet a lost soul named Miles Krzelewski, 12 years into his PhD dissertation, who follows his wife Kate when she accepts a visiting professorship at a prestigious Vermont college. The entire family, which includes their son Wesley, the possessor of all sorts of arcane facts, their daughter Olive, and a loveable, truffle-digging dog named Guiseppe, head off to the forest of Vermont, a far cry from their liberal L.A. home.
As the rest of the family settles in, Miles, the lost man, finds bits of himself as he stumbles across a wide berth of characters who range from a bit eccentric to outright zany. We meet theorists who fervently believe in a hollow earth theory – an alternate underground universe – and who ban together to share papers and research supporting their conclusions. Along with the quixotic lore, others enter Miles’ path – a nearly superhuman ski instructor, a scythe-made biochemist, an eccentric man named Bentley in a motorized conveyance, and so forth. And always in the circle is Miles – Hapless Sholar, Wounded Skier White Liar, Outrageous Taker of Old Country Roads.
Country People is not North Woods, which will go down as one of my favorites of all time. It has a vibe all its own and as someone who “doesn’t do comedy well”, I had to get over myself and adjust to Daniel Mason’s storytelling. This is an author who never does the same book twice. But that’s the point. The author is appealing with us to see people and things differently, witness “the other world inside the earth”, consider whether this earth is really “riddled with wormholes, amphitheaters of different sizes, each holding its own kingdom, its own civilization?” Oh, what people we can meet and what wonder the world holds if we only give it a chance! Thank you to Random House for providing me with an early copy in exchange for an honest review.
But to me, one line from my literary past kept haunting my reading and it’s from Act 1, Scene 5 of Shakespeare’s play, Hamlet, delivered to Horatio: “There are more things in Heaven and Earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.”
What Hamlet is saying is that the human imagination is limited and there are many things we don’t know or haven’t discovered and in fact, haven’t even dreamt of. And that, I believe, is the theme of Daniel Mason’s novel. Here we meet a lost soul named Miles Krzelewski, 12 years into his PhD dissertation, who follows his wife Kate when she accepts a visiting professorship at a prestigious Vermont college. The entire family, which includes their son Wesley, the possessor of all sorts of arcane facts, their daughter Olive, and a loveable, truffle-digging dog named Guiseppe, head off to the forest of Vermont, a far cry from their liberal L.A. home.
As the rest of the family settles in, Miles, the lost man, finds bits of himself as he stumbles across a wide berth of characters who range from a bit eccentric to outright zany. We meet theorists who fervently believe in a hollow earth theory – an alternate underground universe – and who ban together to share papers and research supporting their conclusions. Along with the quixotic lore, others enter Miles’ path – a nearly superhuman ski instructor, a scythe-made biochemist, an eccentric man named Bentley in a motorized conveyance, and so forth. And always in the circle is Miles – Hapless Sholar, Wounded Skier White Liar, Outrageous Taker of Old Country Roads.
Country People is not North Woods, which will go down as one of my favorites of all time. It has a vibe all its own and as someone who “doesn’t do comedy well”, I had to get over myself and adjust to Daniel Mason’s storytelling. This is an author who never does the same book twice. But that’s the point. The author is appealing with us to see people and things differently, witness “the other world inside the earth”, consider whether this earth is really “riddled with wormholes, amphitheaters of different sizes, each holding its own kingdom, its own civilization?” Oh, what people we can meet and what wonder the world holds if we only give it a chance! Thank you to Random House for providing me with an early copy in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
North Woods was one of my favourite reads of 2023 so I was excited to pick up Daniel Mason’s latest work, Country People, and I’m happy to say I loved it just as much. It doesn’t come out until July but I read it in January 2026 and I’m confident this will remain one of my favourites of the year.
The book tells the story of Miles and Kate, a pair of Californian academics relocating to the countryside of Vermont with their young children so Kate can undertake a visiting professorship at a prestigious college. Her success is not matched by Miles, who has been pursuing a PhD in Russian folktales for over a decade and tends to be distracted rather too easily by new infatuations. This leads him to become increasingly involved with some of the more eccentric townsfolk and intrigued by the legends that surround the local woods.
Daniel Mason has a wonderful way with characters which brings them completely to life, full of human flaws and strange behaviours but always keeping them likeable so you end up rooting for everyone. He makes full use here of the stereotypes that surround both Californian academics and small town rural people but it never feels nasty. They are all essentially decent people, a community which largely shares the same goals, just with their quirks in various ways. Many writers attempt to use satire in this way but it’s very difficult to be balanced across the board and, most especially, to do it without making the characters feel cartoon like.
The other thing to say about this book is that it is very, very funny. The local radio phone in show is hysterical and had me laughing out loud many times but it all adds to the story. No words are wasted and asides that seem like pure comedy or background are all quietly adding to the plot.
Daniel Mason is an exceptional writer and it shows again here, with a perfect balance of character, plot and humour, and beautiful descriptions of the landscape. It’s effortless to read, bringing you right into the world and carrying you into a story that manages to feel both real and like a folk tale. Absolutely superb.
Thanks to Netgalley, the author and publisher for an advance copy in return for an honest review.
The book tells the story of Miles and Kate, a pair of Californian academics relocating to the countryside of Vermont with their young children so Kate can undertake a visiting professorship at a prestigious college. Her success is not matched by Miles, who has been pursuing a PhD in Russian folktales for over a decade and tends to be distracted rather too easily by new infatuations. This leads him to become increasingly involved with some of the more eccentric townsfolk and intrigued by the legends that surround the local woods.
Daniel Mason has a wonderful way with characters which brings them completely to life, full of human flaws and strange behaviours but always keeping them likeable so you end up rooting for everyone. He makes full use here of the stereotypes that surround both Californian academics and small town rural people but it never feels nasty. They are all essentially decent people, a community which largely shares the same goals, just with their quirks in various ways. Many writers attempt to use satire in this way but it’s very difficult to be balanced across the board and, most especially, to do it without making the characters feel cartoon like.
The other thing to say about this book is that it is very, very funny. The local radio phone in show is hysterical and had me laughing out loud many times but it all adds to the story. No words are wasted and asides that seem like pure comedy or background are all quietly adding to the plot.
Daniel Mason is an exceptional writer and it shows again here, with a perfect balance of character, plot and humour, and beautiful descriptions of the landscape. It’s effortless to read, bringing you right into the world and carrying you into a story that manages to feel both real and like a folk tale. Absolutely superb.
Thanks to Netgalley, the author and publisher for an advance copy in return for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Daniel Mason paints an eccentric cast of affable townspeople (think Twin Peaks on Prozac), in this feel-good-even-if-you-fight-to story which highlights the power of graciousness and community.
A family of city folk moves from California to the Vermont countryside after Covid for a change of pace and taste of country life. Mom’s a successful college professor; Dad has been working on completing his Ph.D. dissertation for no less than dozen years, their kids are sharp, the family dog is sweetly mangy. Everyone acclimates to new schools and climates quickly, immersing themselves in a warmly creative, but not quite hokey, circle of friends and colleagues.
Chapters are mostly short vignettes, often focused on Wesley, the father, learning some off-the-wall hobby like scything because he has the most free time on his hands. Characters drive the first half of the book almost completely on their own, complimented by evocative scenery. Some chapters offer short scenes from a radio show called the Miscellaneous Minute, and we hear of the lady who finds a bear’s head in her chimney, a garden overrun by 10-inch-long worm-like creatures, or a guy constantly trying to ask questions about his pool, no matter the theme of the day. It’s all very charmingly humorous and effectively foreshadows that something not quite right is afoot in this rural land.
With diverse cast established, in the second half of the novel the framework of a gripping plot is built, grown, and satisfyingly resolved. As a family and as individuals, our characters explore how much to trust legend, folklore, and themselves, through some powerful lessons.
Mason captures dark hemlock forests and bees circling ancient sugar maples with gorgeously lush descriptions. The prose never wavers and this is a challenging book not to enjoy no matter what genre you usually inhabit. Many parts, and most definitely the resolution, will have you grinning about the mysteries in these Country People. Also, a strong recommend to dog lovers.
Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for a review copy.
A family of city folk moves from California to the Vermont countryside after Covid for a change of pace and taste of country life. Mom’s a successful college professor; Dad has been working on completing his Ph.D. dissertation for no less than dozen years, their kids are sharp, the family dog is sweetly mangy. Everyone acclimates to new schools and climates quickly, immersing themselves in a warmly creative, but not quite hokey, circle of friends and colleagues.
Chapters are mostly short vignettes, often focused on Wesley, the father, learning some off-the-wall hobby like scything because he has the most free time on his hands. Characters drive the first half of the book almost completely on their own, complimented by evocative scenery. Some chapters offer short scenes from a radio show called the Miscellaneous Minute, and we hear of the lady who finds a bear’s head in her chimney, a garden overrun by 10-inch-long worm-like creatures, or a guy constantly trying to ask questions about his pool, no matter the theme of the day. It’s all very charmingly humorous and effectively foreshadows that something not quite right is afoot in this rural land.
With diverse cast established, in the second half of the novel the framework of a gripping plot is built, grown, and satisfyingly resolved. As a family and as individuals, our characters explore how much to trust legend, folklore, and themselves, through some powerful lessons.
Mason captures dark hemlock forests and bees circling ancient sugar maples with gorgeously lush descriptions. The prose never wavers and this is a challenging book not to enjoy no matter what genre you usually inhabit. Many parts, and most definitely the resolution, will have you grinning about the mysteries in these Country People. Also, a strong recommend to dog lovers.
Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for a review copy.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
When Country People by Daniel Mason was offered through Net Galley, I jumped at the opportunity because I enjoyed his previous North Woods.
This is a wryly funny, satirical and wise story about Kate and Miles and their two children, Wesley and Olive, and their dog, Giuseppe who move across the country from Southern California to Vermont due to a visiting professorship offered to Kate and an opportunity for Miles to finish his dissertation.
They move into a house owned by a professor who is away, free of charge. This should give pause….
And so they begin a year of discovery: The wonders of the beautiful state of Vermont, it’s geography, the change of season’s starting with a deliciously warm and colorful autumn, frightening snow storms, exhilarating skiing adventures and a host of diverse eccentric, and interesting characters.
Kate is a gifted teacher of Milton, Dante, Blake, who mesmerizes and inspires her students. The author connects these authors with the modern world, including the lyrics of Taylor Swift.
Miles a scholar of Russian folk tales, is a kind and helpful man in search of a profession, and himself.
Olive is a creative and adventurous 9 year old and Wesley is a blend of young teen gaming enthusiast, and budding scholar who likes to share all his arcane knowledge in correcting adults, which gently his father advises as not always a wise thing to do.
We witness the kooky goings on in an elementary school, including the annual production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, an hour long call-in radio talk show named The Miscellaneous Minute, a wheel chair bound character who drives around in a converted ambulance/library, a rat infested house in which the dog plays a big part, and an eccentric group drawn together in search of an underworld.
This book will stay with me for a long while and maybe even warrant a slower re-read.
This is a wryly funny, satirical and wise story about Kate and Miles and their two children, Wesley and Olive, and their dog, Giuseppe who move across the country from Southern California to Vermont due to a visiting professorship offered to Kate and an opportunity for Miles to finish his dissertation.
They move into a house owned by a professor who is away, free of charge. This should give pause….
And so they begin a year of discovery: The wonders of the beautiful state of Vermont, it’s geography, the change of season’s starting with a deliciously warm and colorful autumn, frightening snow storms, exhilarating skiing adventures and a host of diverse eccentric, and interesting characters.
Kate is a gifted teacher of Milton, Dante, Blake, who mesmerizes and inspires her students. The author connects these authors with the modern world, including the lyrics of Taylor Swift.
Miles a scholar of Russian folk tales, is a kind and helpful man in search of a profession, and himself.
Olive is a creative and adventurous 9 year old and Wesley is a blend of young teen gaming enthusiast, and budding scholar who likes to share all his arcane knowledge in correcting adults, which gently his father advises as not always a wise thing to do.
We witness the kooky goings on in an elementary school, including the annual production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, an hour long call-in radio talk show named The Miscellaneous Minute, a wheel chair bound character who drives around in a converted ambulance/library, a rat infested house in which the dog plays a big part, and an eccentric group drawn together in search of an underworld.
This book will stay with me for a long while and maybe even warrant a slower re-read.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
4.5 / 5 stars -
Thank you Netgalley and Random House for the advanced copy. Also a big thank you to Daniel Mason for this brilliant piece of work!
This book took me a while to get through, albeit a majority of it was my fault. Other than me being busy, it was difficult to jump into the book periodically because it's one of those novels where you need to immerse yourself before you flow with the storytelling. You don't truly appreciate the brilliance of the writing unless you sit down and fall in love with the world of Miles and Kate.
Let's get into the plot! We follow Miles and Kate alongside their little family (including a truffle-sniffing dog) who travel to Vermont to pursue an exciting job opportunity for Kate. We get to explore the world of the Krzelewskis and the madness that entails their quaint town in Vermont. While Kate gets sucked into her academic life in her prestigious position at the local university, Miles has struggles acclimating in their so-called "country life" with constant dread looming around his PhD on Russian folktales.
I cannot believe a chunk of this plot point is a coven of conspiracy theorists (aka the Wilkes Society) that Miles met along the way. This is so silly and fun, I think if you are a person-driven plot enthusiast, this will be your cup of tea.
I am in love with the author's writing style so perhaps I am biased here, but I was definitely here for a good time! Please write more and more, Daniel Mason. I am tuned in for anything you create.
Thank you Netgalley and Random House for the advanced copy. Also a big thank you to Daniel Mason for this brilliant piece of work!
This book took me a while to get through, albeit a majority of it was my fault. Other than me being busy, it was difficult to jump into the book periodically because it's one of those novels where you need to immerse yourself before you flow with the storytelling. You don't truly appreciate the brilliance of the writing unless you sit down and fall in love with the world of Miles and Kate.
Let's get into the plot! We follow Miles and Kate alongside their little family (including a truffle-sniffing dog) who travel to Vermont to pursue an exciting job opportunity for Kate. We get to explore the world of the Krzelewskis and the madness that entails their quaint town in Vermont. While Kate gets sucked into her academic life in her prestigious position at the local university, Miles has struggles acclimating in their so-called "country life" with constant dread looming around his PhD on Russian folktales.
I cannot believe a chunk of this plot point is a coven of conspiracy theorists (aka the Wilkes Society) that Miles met along the way. This is so silly and fun, I think if you are a person-driven plot enthusiast, this will be your cup of tea.
I am in love with the author's writing style so perhaps I am biased here, but I was definitely here for a good time! Please write more and more, Daniel Mason. I am tuned in for anything you create.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
5 stars. Thank you Random House and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an eARC of this novel. This is one of my most highly anticipated 2026 releases and it did not disappoint! It was the perfect first book for 2026, I hope it is setting a precedent rather than going downhill from here. Country People is about a family, Miles and his wife Kate and their children Wesley and Olive. Kate is an English professor and is offered a one-year professorship at a university in southern Vermont so the whole family moves across country. Miles has been working on his phd dissertation on Russian folktales for 12 years and thinks this might finally be the opportunity to finish. The story follows the adventures and misadventures of the family over the course of the year and the cast of characters they encounter is just fantastic. I am blown away by how real and relatable Mason is able to make the characters feel, their flaws and idiosyncrasies making them all the more lovable. The prose Mason uses throughout is fantastic as well, I'm not usually a book tab-ber but I highlighted many passages throughout. He manages to make this story very heartwarming without being saccharine and wholesomely hilarious without being corny, I laughed out loud probably every other page. I can't imagine that anyone who picks up this book won't end up enjoying it, and I can't wait to have a physical copy for my shelf!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
After a bit of a slow start, this weird little gem of a book really grabbed me. I'm not sure if it's the New England nostalgia or the magical realism of it all, but it kept moving at a sprightly pace and kept both the mundane but cozy little details of the everyday life of a family, and the mysterious, slightly occult breadcrumbs coming at a steady rate. At first I feared we were veering heavily into classic midlife crisis territory, which I particularly do not enjoy when the protagonist is a man (just my personal taste) but then it took a delightful turn away in the third act. As for the mystery, it neatly toes the line of letting the reader decide where the magic in the magical realism element of it all comes from and what is real, which I find charming. And ultimately there's a healthy dose of tongue-in-cheek humor, for those not satisfied with either of the above, as we laugh both with and at Miles.
I probably would have given this four stars, but then it really reads like a love letter to rural New England from someone who isn't from there but has a deep affection for it, which is relatable to me (and I'd like to think also to most other people who have spent time there) and that made it five stars for me personally. Plus, the description of living somewhere that far north during the winter-- so real.
Thank you to Netgalley and Random House for the ARC.
I probably would have given this four stars, but then it really reads like a love letter to rural New England from someone who isn't from there but has a deep affection for it, which is relatable to me (and I'd like to think also to most other people who have spent time there) and that made it five stars for me personally. Plus, the description of living somewhere that far north during the winter-- so real.
Thank you to Netgalley and Random House for the ARC.
February 19, 2026
Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
While this is not usually a genre I read, I wanted to take a chance on it as the synopsis really drew me in. However, while I found the beginning of the book charming, it started to drag in the middle. I often found myself thinking that the book almost felt like an iteration of Mile's dissertation. The story seemed to branch off in many directions, leaving little threads of stories that left more to be desired. It felt like there were just too many ideas crammed into one story, many of which were left short or never visited again. I wish we could have seen a deeper look into Mile's relationships. I feel like we met each of his friends, but then didn't see them much after that in any meaningful way.
I also struggled with the fantastical hint to the story. I feel that it either should have been introduced and explored a lot earlier in the story, or left out entirely. I felt that it was a little disappointing to just kind of throw it in towards the 70-80% mark.
Overall, I don't think it was a bad novel at all. It was well written and had a lot of charm, I just think that, for me, it fell a little short of what I was hoping it would deliver from the synopsis.
While this is not usually a genre I read, I wanted to take a chance on it as the synopsis really drew me in. However, while I found the beginning of the book charming, it started to drag in the middle. I often found myself thinking that the book almost felt like an iteration of Mile's dissertation. The story seemed to branch off in many directions, leaving little threads of stories that left more to be desired. It felt like there were just too many ideas crammed into one story, many of which were left short or never visited again. I wish we could have seen a deeper look into Mile's relationships. I feel like we met each of his friends, but then didn't see them much after that in any meaningful way.
I also struggled with the fantastical hint to the story. I feel that it either should have been introduced and explored a lot earlier in the story, or left out entirely. I felt that it was a little disappointing to just kind of throw it in towards the 70-80% mark.
Overall, I don't think it was a bad novel at all. It was well written and had a lot of charm, I just think that, for me, it fell a little short of what I was hoping it would deliver from the synopsis.
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