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A Slant of Light
Malcolm Hopeton is on trial for his life – he has committed a horrific act that reverberates through the community of the Four Corners as it emerges from the shadows of the American Civil War. Becca Davis has been keeping house for the widowed August Swartout for four years when she receives word that her brother Harlan has been injured in a tussle with the infamous murderer. But when Harlan comes to the house to recuperate, Becca and August are surprised. Not only does Harlan forgive his attacker, but he is ready to stand at his trial and plead in his defence. Soon, Enoch Stone, the local lawyer, comes knocking. Sensing an opportunity to advance his own position, he has taken on Hopeton's case. As the truth behind the violence comes to light and the townspeople become caught up in the events, notions of honour and integrity, theft and revenge will be sorely tested. And they will each come to realise that the world they thought they knew can never be the same again. A Slant of Light is a powerful novel of lust and love, loss and war, prophets and of the moments that shatter our lives and the ways in which they are remade.
369 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 7, 2015
71 people are currently reading
1576 people want to read
About the author
Jeffrey Lent
13 books146 followersJeffrey Lent was born in Vermont and grew up there and in western New York State, on dairy farms powered mainly by draft horses. He studied Literature and Psychology at Franconia College in New Hampshire and SUNY Purchase. He lived for many years in North Carolina, an enriching and formative experience. Lent currently resides with his wife and two daughters in central Vermont.
His novel In the Fall was a national bestseller reprinted four times in its first month of publication, was a New York Times Book Review Notable Book for 2000, and earned Jeffrey placement in both Barnes & Noble’s and Borders’ new writer programs; his follow-up, Lost Nation, was a summer reading pick of The Washington Post and USA Today. Both novels were BookSense picks, Book of the Month main selections, and have been widely translated. His most recent novel is Before We Sleep.
His novel In the Fall was a national bestseller reprinted four times in its first month of publication, was a New York Times Book Review Notable Book for 2000, and earned Jeffrey placement in both Barnes & Noble’s and Borders’ new writer programs; his follow-up, Lost Nation, was a summer reading pick of The Washington Post and USA Today. Both novels were BookSense picks, Book of the Month main selections, and have been widely translated. His most recent novel is Before We Sleep.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 157 reviews
February 8, 2015
Jeffrey Lent is an extraordinary writer. Sometimes his sentences are long and I find I have to reread them . At some point, the writing just flows but I stop and reread not because the sentence is a little long to grasp but because I choose to - the descriptions are perfection . I just have to include a couple of the them here so you know what I mean about his gorgeous language.
"The corn was high, pressing toward the roadsides, the oats nearly ripe, the slender stalks with their fragile seed casings bending with the slightest of breezes, the fields the color and tone of doeskin, the wheat sturdier, a sharper yellow, the tight hard bundles of seed topping the stalks like many sided arrows."
"The porch looked east, so they sat in shade, the house behind , the barn downhill from them and the road a step up the ridge westward, a track parallel both to the ridgetop and the valley below. The sun was burning huge into the ridgetop trees and above a small string of clouds held motionless with red bellies, darkening above . To the east but high overhead a gibbous moon loomed. Past that the evening star, a hole poked toward heaven ."
The history of the times just after the civil war in upstate NY is depicted , not just through the events themselves but through the lives of his characters . The settling and the building of farms , the very hard life of farming , the role of religion and the impact on families of all of these things are a part of this story. This novel is mostly about good people and the losses they have suffered - loved ones , homes and parts of themselves and it's also about love and what it means to be moral regardless of the religion .There also are bad and evil men and some amazingly strong women.
The novel centers around Malcolm Hopeton , a good man pushed over the edge to violence when he returns home from the war and finds that most of what he owned and his wife have been taken from him by Amos Wheeler , the man Hopeton has mistakenly left in charge of his farm . Harlan Davis , a loyal , hardworking 16 year old boy , an orphan who is wise for his age wants to save the man he worked for and who he knows to be a good man . Then there is the
less than moral , Enoch Stone who wants to help free Hopeton for his own purposes . August Swartout , stands in contrast to Stone as a man wanting to do the right thing for Harlan and his sister Becca.
We come to know so much about these characters and their pasts are revealed in narratives that are interspersed with the present. I loved that their stories were melded together sometimes in the same chapter without any line of separation other than a new paragraph. It gave me the sense of how connected their lives were.
I was drawn in also because of the place - upstate NY just near the town of Jerusalem in Yates County which is just over an hour drive away from where I live . I loved The mention of places that I know - Canandaigua Lake , Seneca Lake , Elmira , Lake Ontario . But it could have taken place anywhere and I still would have loved it. Lent is a skilled storyteller , recording the pulse of the time of which he writes and a view of what it means to be human that is relevant both then and now . He is one of my favorite authors and I definitely recommend this novel as well as his others .
A big thank you to Bloomsbury USA and NetGalley for this advanced copy .
August 14, 2015
This book was amazing. Jeffrey Lent is amazing. How have I not read any of his books before? It took me 4 days to read this novel, and I feel as though I've lived with these characters for years. I've worked in their fields during harvest time, eaten at their table, trudged dusty miles on foot to get where I needed to go. Handled what life gave me in between chores and milking cows and taking care of livestock, because even in times of tragedy, these things had to be done.
There are evil men here, and good men and women, and misguided fools and an ambitious lawyer who thinks he's guided by the hand of God, and a boy who wants to do the right thing if he can just figure out what that is.
All of that with a plot that starts off in Chapter 1 with a punch to the reader's gut, and unfolds in layers as you turn the pages. You form an opinion of a character, then find you were wrong. You think you know someone, and with one sentence, find out different.
I am going to miss these people, as you do when you've worked with them and had meals with them, and shared hopes and dreams. But I will definitely reconnect with Jeffrey Lent in the future
There are evil men here, and good men and women, and misguided fools and an ambitious lawyer who thinks he's guided by the hand of God, and a boy who wants to do the right thing if he can just figure out what that is.
All of that with a plot that starts off in Chapter 1 with a punch to the reader's gut, and unfolds in layers as you turn the pages. You form an opinion of a character, then find you were wrong. You think you know someone, and with one sentence, find out different.
I am going to miss these people, as you do when you've worked with them and had meals with them, and shared hopes and dreams. But I will definitely reconnect with Jeffrey Lent in the future
February 6, 2015
When Malcolm Hopeton returns to his farm in upstate New York, after fighting in the Civil War, he find most of his possessions and his wife gone. This novel opens with a act of violence and as a reader I thought I knew what was going to happen, a bad man would be caught and hanged. Wrong, the lines are not so clear. There is so much more to the story despite presumptions to the contrary and that is the genius of this novel and this author.
Through a young man who had worked on his farm for many years we hear some of the story, and in memories from Malcolm himself as he sits in jail awaiting his fate, we hear of the relationship between he and his wife. Such wonderful characters, women and men, and I really wanted to know the real story behind these actions. Amazing writing, his descriptions place you right there and are incredibly beautiful. Hard working farmers, a community of The Friends, people who care about each other, and a man who seems to be helpful but has his own agenda.
First novel I have read by this author but have now become a big fan.
A wonderful book to become immersed in with on a cloudy, cold afternoon.
ARC from NetGalley.
Through a young man who had worked on his farm for many years we hear some of the story, and in memories from Malcolm himself as he sits in jail awaiting his fate, we hear of the relationship between he and his wife. Such wonderful characters, women and men, and I really wanted to know the real story behind these actions. Amazing writing, his descriptions place you right there and are incredibly beautiful. Hard working farmers, a community of The Friends, people who care about each other, and a man who seems to be helpful but has his own agenda.
First novel I have read by this author but have now become a big fan.
A wonderful book to become immersed in with on a cloudy, cold afternoon.
ARC from NetGalley.
July 8, 2017
I truly dislike rating books so low, but alas, I could barely trudge through this one. I felt like it could have been written so much better and pulled so much harder to accomplish what the author set out to do. In reality, I felt the author struggled with focus and I ended up forcing myself to finish this one.
Some chapters were 1 page, others were 30 pages. This is a reading pet peeve for me. I abhor long chapters, but especially when chapters are inconsistent. Writing was way too wordy for my liking, and eventually I skimmed over paragraphs at a time describing the landscape. None of the characters showed much growth, even considering the circumstances. Also, the book was set in the 1800s after the Civil war, yet the dialogue and writing did not reflect this, in my opinion.
ARC provided by Goodreads Firstreads Program
Some chapters were 1 page, others were 30 pages. This is a reading pet peeve for me. I abhor long chapters, but especially when chapters are inconsistent. Writing was way too wordy for my liking, and eventually I skimmed over paragraphs at a time describing the landscape. None of the characters showed much growth, even considering the circumstances. Also, the book was set in the 1800s after the Civil war, yet the dialogue and writing did not reflect this, in my opinion.
ARC provided by Goodreads Firstreads Program
July 27, 2015
Some great novels are painterly, and we sink into them like a warm bath, lost in a wholly different time and place. Others are hair-on-fire page-turners that leave us unable to do one single thing until the book is done. Lent has managed to combine both kinds into one brilliant work, creating tangible characters and a setting that is nearly palpable as well. My thanks to Bloomsbury Publishers and Net Galley for the DRC. The book will be released in early April 2015.
The novel opens with a scene of horrible violence; think of The Shawshank Redemption, or of Deliverance. Then we walk the string back to see whence it all came, and we see it from a variety of perspectives. Only then can we move forward to the conclusion.
Malcolm Hopeton has fought in the American Civil War, and refused to buy his way out of his duty to the Union; when he was wounded in action, he could have gone home, but chose to stay and stamp out the Confederate threat instead. Had he known what was happening at home, he'd have chosen differently.
Witness to the violence at Hopeton's farm and all that preceded it is Harlan Davis. Harlan has been there since the death of his parents, first as orphan helping out to earn his keep, and then later as hired man. In fact, once the other players are dead or in jail, Harlan is the only one who has seen absolutely everything...and he isn't talking.
Matthew Swartout, the widowed farmer who has hired Harlan's sister as a housekeeper since the death of his wife, sees it as his Christian duty to bring Harlan back to his place after the dust has settled. He tries to do the right thing, but life is complex, and sometimes that choice can be fraught with little traps and riddles.
Ultimately, A Slant of Light is about integrity, honesty, and loyalty. Ask Harlan. He knows. He may not say much, though.
I was interested to learn that "The Friend" refers not to Quakers, but to a religious offshoot that took root during this time period. It's an interesting historical tidbit, along with a great many other details that appear to drop into the story as naturally as can be, yet had to require meticulous research before it could be written.
I have written over 700 reviews between one place and another, and this is the first time I have ever said that a book would be a good choice for a book club. I kept finding myself with questions and no one to discuss them with. It's a fascinating story, and the ambiguity within makes it all the more so.
Get it in hard cover, paperback, digitally; get it in a brick and mortar bookstore, order it online, or seek it out at a library; but if you like strong historical fiction, you have to read this book. Tautly worded, yet lushly descriptive; brilliant.
The novel opens with a scene of horrible violence; think of The Shawshank Redemption, or of Deliverance. Then we walk the string back to see whence it all came, and we see it from a variety of perspectives. Only then can we move forward to the conclusion.
Malcolm Hopeton has fought in the American Civil War, and refused to buy his way out of his duty to the Union; when he was wounded in action, he could have gone home, but chose to stay and stamp out the Confederate threat instead. Had he known what was happening at home, he'd have chosen differently.
Witness to the violence at Hopeton's farm and all that preceded it is Harlan Davis. Harlan has been there since the death of his parents, first as orphan helping out to earn his keep, and then later as hired man. In fact, once the other players are dead or in jail, Harlan is the only one who has seen absolutely everything...and he isn't talking.
Matthew Swartout, the widowed farmer who has hired Harlan's sister as a housekeeper since the death of his wife, sees it as his Christian duty to bring Harlan back to his place after the dust has settled. He tries to do the right thing, but life is complex, and sometimes that choice can be fraught with little traps and riddles.
Ultimately, A Slant of Light is about integrity, honesty, and loyalty. Ask Harlan. He knows. He may not say much, though.
I was interested to learn that "The Friend" refers not to Quakers, but to a religious offshoot that took root during this time period. It's an interesting historical tidbit, along with a great many other details that appear to drop into the story as naturally as can be, yet had to require meticulous research before it could be written.
I have written over 700 reviews between one place and another, and this is the first time I have ever said that a book would be a good choice for a book club. I kept finding myself with questions and no one to discuss them with. It's a fascinating story, and the ambiguity within makes it all the more so.
Get it in hard cover, paperback, digitally; get it in a brick and mortar bookstore, order it online, or seek it out at a library; but if you like strong historical fiction, you have to read this book. Tautly worded, yet lushly descriptive; brilliant.
June 17, 2015
The beginning was fantastic. I was immediately transfixed by the vivid scenes and felt my heart beating several times to such an extent where I thought this would be a 5 star book. But somewhere about the middle the plot took a detour and I started losing my focus and just never got back on track. By the end I was skimming paragraphs and looking forward to be finished. It felt like a quick slide down the rating scale.
Aspects that bothered me:
1) There was not a clear distinction between "present-day" August and "previous-day" Malcolm. Both were farmers raising the same crops and animals. Many times I got both confused when the narrative switched back and forth.
2) Jeffrey Lent delved too deep into the past of the secondary characters. I wish the focus remained on the murders and Malcolm's return from the war.
3) There was so much detail about the harvesting of crops and preparation of meals that it often felt I was reading a script for a PBS documentary. The sheer amount of food made for each meal was overwhelming. Is it really possible for 2 or 3 people to eat that amount of food? I'm not sure but they were probably the best fed people in upstate New York without a doubt.
4) Some passages confused me and contradicted other passages. I tried to re-read them four or five times but never comprehended the true meaning.
To reiterate, the beginning was the best part! The first couple of chapters are worth seeking out. Trust me.
Aspects that bothered me:
1) There was not a clear distinction between "present-day" August and "previous-day" Malcolm. Both were farmers raising the same crops and animals. Many times I got both confused when the narrative switched back and forth.
2) Jeffrey Lent delved too deep into the past of the secondary characters. I wish the focus remained on the murders and Malcolm's return from the war.
3) There was so much detail about the harvesting of crops and preparation of meals that it often felt I was reading a script for a PBS documentary. The sheer amount of food made for each meal was overwhelming. Is it really possible for 2 or 3 people to eat that amount of food? I'm not sure but they were probably the best fed people in upstate New York without a doubt.
4) Some passages confused me and contradicted other passages. I tried to re-read them four or five times but never comprehended the true meaning.
To reiterate, the beginning was the best part! The first couple of chapters are worth seeking out. Trust me.
June 2, 2015
When I finished A Slant of Light, I felt like I do when I have walked in the high peaks of New Hampshire, above the trees where the landscape is mystical and brings thoughts of eternity. For days afterward the clouds and crags jump unbidden to mind. As I write this review, I know the incantatory language in A Slant of Light will resonate inside me for a good while. It cast a spell over me from the first page to the last. I know of only one other writer who has created this kind of language, a language lyrical, ancestral, wonderfully archaic, and rooted in a past landscape, in an America that vanished in the smoke and fire of railroads, engines, and electricity. That other writer is Cormac McCarthy in All the Pretty Horses (and probably in the rest of his Border trilogy which I look forward to reading). I could add Matthiessen's Shadow Country, too. But language is not enough to make a great novel. There must be story and character and meaning as well. A Slant of Light has all these in spades. Lent skillfully juggles the stories of tragically cursed Malcolm Hopeton and Bethany Schofield Hopeton, vicious thief Amos Wheeler, deeply moral August Swartout, loyal and hardworking Becca Davis, the brave young Harlan Davis, and the unlucky but unsinkable Alice Ann Labidee. By the end of the novel we know all these characters intimately. Their stories issue from the double murder that begins the novel, and they touch on tragedy, love, loyalty, death, time, God, courage, and morality--in other words, almost everything. As with the Emily Dickinson poem for which (I assume) it is named, the meaning of A Slant of Light is not to be summed in abstractions, however. Its meaning will be found in the heart of the individual reader and will only be parsed as the reader plumbs and delves over time. This is not a book the average reader will page through quickly. The language is rich and can only be appreciated if read with the same care the author used in writing it. But oh my goodness what reward! It transported me to the horse-and-buggy world of my great-grandparents and beyond to something not of place or time but of the heart and what the heart knows but needs reminding of.
February 16, 2015
Oh Jeffrey Lent, I think this is where we part ways.
Ever since I read Lent's first book, over 10 years ago, I've looked forward to reading new works from him. His second book, Lost Nation, blew my mind. But ever since then, I've struggled to connect with his writing, to the point where I couldn't even finish his last book.
Still, when I saw this one on Netgalley, I hit that request button immediately, because he earned so much good will from me for those first two, wonderful books.
But unfortunately, with this one I think he's lost me for good. Other readers have been describing this book as poetic and painterly, but for me it was just boring. Maybe that's just a failing of mine; I admit I have less patience than ever for long descriptions of nature and ruminations on good and evil and the nature of man (and woman).
Certainly there's very little plot to hang those meandering paragraphs on. The book begins with a crime that is explored and re-framed throughout as the circumstances surrounding it come to light, but it never amounts to much. Characters talk and talk some more about it, but no one really does much about it, and then it all comes to an extremely abrupt ending with next to no resolution. Now I know, my other failing as a reader is a desire for tidy endings, but honestly that's not even the problem here. I hadn't been paying attention to the page numbers and was shocked when I turned the page and found the Acknowledgments. I truly had no idea I was coming up on the end. Very unsatisfying.
I also have to say, the description of the book on goodreads is misleading. It says, "At the heart of the novel are two men: one who has committed a horrific act, but is slowly revealed to be a man of honor and integrity; the other, a seemingly righteous man of great spiritual dedication, whose lust for power within his community will eventually blind him to his own actions."
The "seemingly righteous man" is not one of the two protagonists of the book as this suggests, and it made me think for far too long that the second character who is truly at the heart of the book, August, was going to go down a dark path, which never happened.
Ever since I read Lent's first book, over 10 years ago, I've looked forward to reading new works from him. His second book, Lost Nation, blew my mind. But ever since then, I've struggled to connect with his writing, to the point where I couldn't even finish his last book.
Still, when I saw this one on Netgalley, I hit that request button immediately, because he earned so much good will from me for those first two, wonderful books.
But unfortunately, with this one I think he's lost me for good. Other readers have been describing this book as poetic and painterly, but for me it was just boring. Maybe that's just a failing of mine; I admit I have less patience than ever for long descriptions of nature and ruminations on good and evil and the nature of man (and woman).
Certainly there's very little plot to hang those meandering paragraphs on. The book begins with a crime that is explored and re-framed throughout as the circumstances surrounding it come to light, but it never amounts to much. Characters talk and talk some more about it, but no one really does much about it, and then it all comes to an extremely abrupt ending with next to no resolution. Now I know, my other failing as a reader is a desire for tidy endings, but honestly that's not even the problem here. I hadn't been paying attention to the page numbers and was shocked when I turned the page and found the Acknowledgments. I truly had no idea I was coming up on the end. Very unsatisfying.
I also have to say, the description of the book on goodreads is misleading. It says, "At the heart of the novel are two men: one who has committed a horrific act, but is slowly revealed to be a man of honor and integrity; the other, a seemingly righteous man of great spiritual dedication, whose lust for power within his community will eventually blind him to his own actions."
The "seemingly righteous man" is not one of the two protagonists of the book as this suggests, and it made me think for far too long that the second character who is truly at the heart of the book, August, was going to go down a dark path, which never happened.
April 6, 2015
I received an ARC from the publisher through NetGalley.
One of my favorite places to visit is The Finger Lakes region in New York so I was thrilled to find an historical fiction novel that is set in this beautiful place. Malcolm Hopeton moves from New Hampshire with his elderly grandfather and buys a plot of land to farm near Seneca Lake. Malcolm toils from dawn to dusk for years in order to yield a fertile bounty from his land and he is very successful. He hires a young boy named Amos Wheeler as farm help which will be one of the biggest mistakes of his life.
Malcolm also meets Bethany and they have a brief whirlwind romance and settle down to a happy, married life. When Malcolm decides to go and fight in The Civil War, and chooses to stay away for all four years of the war, his farm, his wife and all that he holds dear are taken away from him. He commits a horrific act of violence against Amos and Bethany for which he stands trial. As the story unfolds we learn that Malcolm is an honorable man who is driven to his breaking point.
The narrative also focuses on the character of Augustus, who I found to be the most interesting character in the novel. Augustus is also a hardworking farmer that has suffered tragedy very early on in his life. His pregnant wife, Narcissa, dies in childbirth and he vows to be alone for the rest of his life. He quickly realizes that he needs someone to help take care of his house and feed him, so he hires Becca Davis and they get along very well. But Augustus is so focused on staying faithful to his dead wife that he refuses to see what a great match he and Becca would make.
One theme that is carried throughout the novel is the abuse of women. Bethany is treated poorly by her father and is beaten mercilessly when he perceives that she has committed a sin. She finds solace and love with Malcolm, who turns around and abandons her to go off to war. When Malcolm is gone she is emotionally and physically abused by Amos Wheeler. Bethany’s life comes to a tragic end at the hands of her husband who, brought to his breaking point, kills Wheeler and in the ensuing struggle accidentally kills her as well.
Becca is treated well by Augustus but it becomes clear that she feels more for him than an employee feels for an employer. When Augusts takes in Becca’s teenage brother the three of them live together as a pseudo-family and Becca seems especially content with her living situation. But at two kept points in the novel Becca tries to have a serious conversation with Augustus and she is frustrated that she is still treated like the hired help by him.
The bucolic language of the book captures the beauty and peacefulness of this region and the serene landscape stands in sharp contrast to the turmoil of the characters’ struggles. A SLANT OF LIGHT is an intense read that comes to an abrupt and incomplete end. I was happy to read on Jeffrey Lent’s website that this book is the first in a two book deal with Bloomsbury. I look forward to the next installment.
For more of my reviews visit: www.thebookbindersdaughter.com
One of my favorite places to visit is The Finger Lakes region in New York so I was thrilled to find an historical fiction novel that is set in this beautiful place. Malcolm Hopeton moves from New Hampshire with his elderly grandfather and buys a plot of land to farm near Seneca Lake. Malcolm toils from dawn to dusk for years in order to yield a fertile bounty from his land and he is very successful. He hires a young boy named Amos Wheeler as farm help which will be one of the biggest mistakes of his life.
Malcolm also meets Bethany and they have a brief whirlwind romance and settle down to a happy, married life. When Malcolm decides to go and fight in The Civil War, and chooses to stay away for all four years of the war, his farm, his wife and all that he holds dear are taken away from him. He commits a horrific act of violence against Amos and Bethany for which he stands trial. As the story unfolds we learn that Malcolm is an honorable man who is driven to his breaking point.
The narrative also focuses on the character of Augustus, who I found to be the most interesting character in the novel. Augustus is also a hardworking farmer that has suffered tragedy very early on in his life. His pregnant wife, Narcissa, dies in childbirth and he vows to be alone for the rest of his life. He quickly realizes that he needs someone to help take care of his house and feed him, so he hires Becca Davis and they get along very well. But Augustus is so focused on staying faithful to his dead wife that he refuses to see what a great match he and Becca would make.
One theme that is carried throughout the novel is the abuse of women. Bethany is treated poorly by her father and is beaten mercilessly when he perceives that she has committed a sin. She finds solace and love with Malcolm, who turns around and abandons her to go off to war. When Malcolm is gone she is emotionally and physically abused by Amos Wheeler. Bethany’s life comes to a tragic end at the hands of her husband who, brought to his breaking point, kills Wheeler and in the ensuing struggle accidentally kills her as well.
Becca is treated well by Augustus but it becomes clear that she feels more for him than an employee feels for an employer. When Augusts takes in Becca’s teenage brother the three of them live together as a pseudo-family and Becca seems especially content with her living situation. But at two kept points in the novel Becca tries to have a serious conversation with Augustus and she is frustrated that she is still treated like the hired help by him.
The bucolic language of the book captures the beauty and peacefulness of this region and the serene landscape stands in sharp contrast to the turmoil of the characters’ struggles. A SLANT OF LIGHT is an intense read that comes to an abrupt and incomplete end. I was happy to read on Jeffrey Lent’s website that this book is the first in a two book deal with Bloomsbury. I look forward to the next installment.
For more of my reviews visit: www.thebookbindersdaughter.com
July 3, 2018
I've had this novel in my stacks for several years and am so glad that I finally got around to it. Jeffrey Lent is a wonderful writer, attuned to both the natural world and the human heart. The book opens with a wallop: Malcolm Hopeton, a farmer from upstate New York who has been away serving in the Union Army, comes home to find that Amos Wheeler, the hired man he trusted to watch over the land has not only neglected his duties but has sold off as much as he could and run off with Hopeton's wife Bethany. In the first few pages, the wayward couple return to the farm in a wagon and an enraged Hopeton kills Amos. When Bethany pulls a derringer and fires at him, her husband throws her to the ground, with tragic consequences.
You might expect this to evolve into a typical story of murder and revenge, but these only form the the barest framework. Malcolm Hopeton is, at heart, a good man who was momentarily blinded by betrayal. Once he realizes what he has done, his first act is to take Harlan Davis, a teenage hired hand who was injured when he tried to prevent his boss's attack on the couple, to the town doctor. It's not long after that he is captured and goes willingly to jail to await trial--a trial that he hopes will end in his own death. As for Harlan, he is taken to the home of August Swartout, to recover under the care of his sister Becky, who has been helping the widowed farmer keep up the house. Set in a religious community in upstate New York, the novel explores not only the relationships among the characters but the depths and dilemmas of morality, justice, love, and faith.
This is a beautiful novel, one I will long remember, and I hope to read more works by Jeffrey Lent soon. My only caution--and this is NOT a criticism, to my mind--is that if you are looking for a lot of fast-paced action, you won't find it here. Much of the book describes the natural world, life on a mid-19th century farm, and the characters' memories. For me, these are what makes 'A Slant of Light' such a memorable read.
February 2, 2015
With a poetic wisdom, “The Slant of Light” shares the lives of 3 men caught in a tragic tragedy. Each man seeking to do the “right thing” and that a justice will be served. The setting done after the civil war, in a Friend community, you are brought back to a different time and place. Where work was hard and the will of a man was challenged. The 3 women protagonists were just as impressive in the challenges that they faced with their male counterparts.
The prose is one that each reader will take away something different. In summary, Malcolm who is charged with the murder of his wife and a hired hand, after coming back from serving in the civil war. As a contemplative man, what drove him to the murder of his wife? As you are pulled in, you discover what kind of marriage they had and the precarious relationship with his hired hand Amos. Malcolm has he sits in jail cell, does not cry for his innocence but that he should pay for his failure. Malcolm has an ally, a young man Harlan Davis. He knows what happened but he is living his own dark secret. Will he have the courage to face that secret to help Malcolm his in time of need? Harlan has an ally himself. His sister’s employer, August who struggles against the loss of his wife, has found a purpose in helping Harlan find his way in doing what is proper. Harlan’s sister Becca is August housekeeper. The relationship between August and Becca change as Harlan and Becca now reside with August on his working farm. As they work together, they come to an understanding of each other and of themselves.
You come away that understanding the why of what happens may never come fully but the strength you have in doing the right thing no matter how hard.
A special thank you Bloomsbury USA, and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review
The prose is one that each reader will take away something different. In summary, Malcolm who is charged with the murder of his wife and a hired hand, after coming back from serving in the civil war. As a contemplative man, what drove him to the murder of his wife? As you are pulled in, you discover what kind of marriage they had and the precarious relationship with his hired hand Amos. Malcolm has he sits in jail cell, does not cry for his innocence but that he should pay for his failure. Malcolm has an ally, a young man Harlan Davis. He knows what happened but he is living his own dark secret. Will he have the courage to face that secret to help Malcolm his in time of need? Harlan has an ally himself. His sister’s employer, August who struggles against the loss of his wife, has found a purpose in helping Harlan find his way in doing what is proper. Harlan’s sister Becca is August housekeeper. The relationship between August and Becca change as Harlan and Becca now reside with August on his working farm. As they work together, they come to an understanding of each other and of themselves.
You come away that understanding the why of what happens may never come fully but the strength you have in doing the right thing no matter how hard.
A special thank you Bloomsbury USA, and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review
April 25, 2015
Lent at his best
Almost anyone can write a story but not everyone can tell a story.
Jeffrey Lent can Tell a story. He can tell a story as if you were around a campfire and you leaned forward so as not miss a word, a description or a weaving of characters. He takes a character and builds he/she from the ground up so you know that person, who he/she is, where they came from, what they think and why. Then when the characters are built he weaves them together slowly and with such an amazing wealth of words that you feel as if you are there, seeing the leaves on the pond, smelling the wheat ripening in the fields, the sounds and smells of the barn. you are in the characters head. This is story telling at its best
Almost anyone can write a story but not everyone can tell a story.
Jeffrey Lent can Tell a story. He can tell a story as if you were around a campfire and you leaned forward so as not miss a word, a description or a weaving of characters. He takes a character and builds he/she from the ground up so you know that person, who he/she is, where they came from, what they think and why. Then when the characters are built he weaves them together slowly and with such an amazing wealth of words that you feel as if you are there, seeing the leaves on the pond, smelling the wheat ripening in the fields, the sounds and smells of the barn. you are in the characters head. This is story telling at its best
May 9, 2015
This was impressive. The beginning was a total knock-down. More than any prose of recent memory this seems to hit a style that superbly fits the era and context. It's intensely physical.
But moreover, IMHO, it is at core a man's book with a man's strong identity and "honor" sense. A warrior book. It's war's legacy at a raw and vibrantly alive emotional level. The forgetting? Not so much.
Jeffrey Lent is a talent. These people were so real, and so quickly. That's an immense writing skill, and so completely under rated. This book is cored within the rural homesteads of New York just post Civil War. Necessity is a hard mistress for choices pursued.
But moreover, IMHO, it is at core a man's book with a man's strong identity and "honor" sense. A warrior book. It's war's legacy at a raw and vibrantly alive emotional level. The forgetting? Not so much.
Jeffrey Lent is a talent. These people were so real, and so quickly. That's an immense writing skill, and so completely under rated. This book is cored within the rural homesteads of New York just post Civil War. Necessity is a hard mistress for choices pursued.
April 15, 2015
I am always sorry to close a Jeffrey Lent book. I enjoy reading the words slow and letting them work their magic. You can smell the farm smells, feel the air, see the tree leaves move gracefully.His prose envelops you. It is from another era and I lone to be back there. It is not the Tale, but the telling of the Tale, the journey in words it takes you on. I immerse myself in Lent's prose. Nothing to do know but go back to In The Fall. . .
April 4, 2023
It's been reviewed as "atmospheric," "painterly," and "lyrical prose," but I just found it a really tough slog. Every time someone stepped out the door, even if just to "pass water," there was a description of every leaf and branch, every cricket chirp and bird song, and every cloud or star.
I rarely don't finish a book, so I kept at it. But I wish I wouldn't have spent my time one it..
I rarely don't finish a book, so I kept at it. But I wish I wouldn't have spent my time one it..
April 29, 2015
An ode to a way of life and to character and history too. Amazingly done.
April 30, 2015
gave up on page 50
May 1, 2017
The story of some tragic murders and their effect on the people left behind, set in mid 19th century upstate New York. Much of the verbiage is an almost erotic paean to farm fecundity with detailed and rich descriptions of livestock, the harvest, old farm equipment, many meals, and occasional D.H.Lawrence-like sexual discovery. It seems at times to be a battle between Rabelaisian naturalism and the plot's dour elements – human self-interest and its pal, religion. Strangely, the murders themselves don't seem to trouble us or most of the characters very much. The novel is beautifully written, but its thematic elements didn't click for me, and the story ends rather arbitrarily.
December 23, 2018
Beautifully written and intelligently plotted, this book suffers from two-dimensional female characters—what my daughter calls “middle-aged men’s fantasy fiction.” Two of them are mostly silent and sexually eager. The third is an uncomplaining sexless workhorse. To me this spoils an otherwise brilliant piece of writing.
June 20, 2021
A very atmospheric read, set in rural US after civil war . Starts off with extreme action then develops the outcome for those involved. It’s a powerful plot, well controlled, you don’t know how things are going to turn out. Great characters and beautiful descriptions of nature, bird song, animals, trees, farming, it really builds a picture of times gone by.
August 7, 2016
Jeffrey Lent’s A Slant of Light features the life and death issues so closely associated with his work, and in this case an oblique approach to resolving the central conflict. These aspects of Mr. Lent’s latest novel don’t necessarily separate it from previous brilliant efforts like In the Fall and Lost Nation, not at all - but they reinforce and add depth to his already stunning body of work. A Slant of Light uses a device not often found in previous Lent novels: he uses a focused image to suggest the wider and more significant events swirling around the tragic hero. This book is a marvel.
Malcolm Hopeton returns to his Finger Lakes farm from fighting in the Civil War. He spent a full four years in what he felt was personal combat with evil. He comes home to find his farm fallow, stripped of crops and equipment, and his wife gone. At the root of all this damage is the man Hopeton had trusted to take care of things in his absence. The usurper made a clean sweep of everything Hopeton held as his own. In the stunning and brutal first scene of the book, Hopeton kills the villain, and also the wife he had called his own.
The book follows events in the murders’ wake: young Harlan Davis worked Hopeton’s farm and was trustworthy in Hopeton’s absence and remains so, although he thinks no one understands what really happened (he was a witness). Neighboring farmer August Swartout takes Harlan in after the crime, since he already employs Harlan’s older sister. Much of the plot revolves around these three who are caught up in the wretched business; they each have paths they must follow to see things set right, and particularly Harlan’s row is difficult to hoe.
The real focus here is Malcolm, however. While the state may be persuaded to clemency, he’s simply resigned to a death sentence, in fact thinks it’s the only just thing. Malcolm sits in a cell in the basement of the court house and half-consciously watches the progress of days in the form of sunlight slanting through a high window opposite. And the light of justice swings around in its inexorable way, its path pushed and bent by the actions of the principals. It’s a lovely, an elegant device, a fine and impressive stroke by a master.
We find the period’s religious preoccupations on display, as well as the daily, grinding challenge of running a farm at the time. We encounter interesting secondary characters, like the two legal professionals who will attempt to influence and decide the case, and a handful of wonderful women, each of whom enjoys Mr. Lent’s full and assured touch.
I’ve believed for years in Jeffrey Lent’s mastery. He’s ambitious and eloquent, and adorns his prose only with the most appropriate descriptive touches that never detract from his art. I think this is his best book yet, and from me, that’s a real compliment.
http://bassoprofundo1.blogspot.com/20...
Malcolm Hopeton returns to his Finger Lakes farm from fighting in the Civil War. He spent a full four years in what he felt was personal combat with evil. He comes home to find his farm fallow, stripped of crops and equipment, and his wife gone. At the root of all this damage is the man Hopeton had trusted to take care of things in his absence. The usurper made a clean sweep of everything Hopeton held as his own. In the stunning and brutal first scene of the book, Hopeton kills the villain, and also the wife he had called his own.
The book follows events in the murders’ wake: young Harlan Davis worked Hopeton’s farm and was trustworthy in Hopeton’s absence and remains so, although he thinks no one understands what really happened (he was a witness). Neighboring farmer August Swartout takes Harlan in after the crime, since he already employs Harlan’s older sister. Much of the plot revolves around these three who are caught up in the wretched business; they each have paths they must follow to see things set right, and particularly Harlan’s row is difficult to hoe.
The real focus here is Malcolm, however. While the state may be persuaded to clemency, he’s simply resigned to a death sentence, in fact thinks it’s the only just thing. Malcolm sits in a cell in the basement of the court house and half-consciously watches the progress of days in the form of sunlight slanting through a high window opposite. And the light of justice swings around in its inexorable way, its path pushed and bent by the actions of the principals. It’s a lovely, an elegant device, a fine and impressive stroke by a master.
We find the period’s religious preoccupations on display, as well as the daily, grinding challenge of running a farm at the time. We encounter interesting secondary characters, like the two legal professionals who will attempt to influence and decide the case, and a handful of wonderful women, each of whom enjoys Mr. Lent’s full and assured touch.
I’ve believed for years in Jeffrey Lent’s mastery. He’s ambitious and eloquent, and adorns his prose only with the most appropriate descriptive touches that never detract from his art. I think this is his best book yet, and from me, that’s a real compliment.
http://bassoprofundo1.blogspot.com/20...
April 23, 2015
I absolutely loved this book and now have all of the previous books by Jeffrey Lent on my must-be-read list. This one is not a light read and it’s not a fast read but it is definitely an absorbing read. The author has a deep understanding of the human heart and knows how to portray that understanding with words. He’s created a literary work of art with this book.
Malcolm Hopeton is a soldier in the Civil War who spends four years fighting what he perceives to be the evil that has pervaded the United States, only to find evil on his own doorstep when he returns home. His story is the prevailing one; however, many of the characters have their own compelling stories to tell. I won’t go into any of those stories as I believe the author has done a perfect job of bringing to light each of their lives and backgrounds in a slow, sure way.
The author is a master at depicting the time period and the hardness of farm life. He has the heart of a poet and when he describes a picnic in a meadow, you’re there with them, smelling the flowers, feeling the warm wind on your face, tasting the food. Even the eating of a peach becomes a sensuous experience. This is a passionate, powerful book. Some people won’t like the ending and will feel like they’ve been left hanging but I believe enough was told towards the end of the book that you know how it will all turn out without being specifically told.
One of the best books I’ve read this year and well deserving of any prizes that are ahead for it.
I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway.
Malcolm Hopeton is a soldier in the Civil War who spends four years fighting what he perceives to be the evil that has pervaded the United States, only to find evil on his own doorstep when he returns home. His story is the prevailing one; however, many of the characters have their own compelling stories to tell. I won’t go into any of those stories as I believe the author has done a perfect job of bringing to light each of their lives and backgrounds in a slow, sure way.
The author is a master at depicting the time period and the hardness of farm life. He has the heart of a poet and when he describes a picnic in a meadow, you’re there with them, smelling the flowers, feeling the warm wind on your face, tasting the food. Even the eating of a peach becomes a sensuous experience. This is a passionate, powerful book. Some people won’t like the ending and will feel like they’ve been left hanging but I believe enough was told towards the end of the book that you know how it will all turn out without being specifically told.
One of the best books I’ve read this year and well deserving of any prizes that are ahead for it.
I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway.
October 6, 2015
I’ve now read two Jeffrey Lent books, (After You’ve Gone) and I can confidently say he is a fantastic writer. His books are luscious with full, painterly, impressionistic descriptions and his stories are spare and stark. The contrast is masterful. I imagine A Slant of Light might frustrate some readers because the story really focuses on events leading up to a trial for a man’s life, yet we never do get a full resolve. That didn’t matter to me because Lent has given us enough information through the choices the characters make in the weeks or days leading up to the hearing that we can make our own ending. Some readers probably wanted dated chapter headings so they don’t have to read carefully to know when and whom they were now reading about. Didn’t care – liked having to think a little bit and pay attention to what was evolving. I loved the characters and their slow realizations and their attempts to grab hold of their lives. I do think that some of the blurbs and even the jacket cover do not accurately describe the book, but blurbing that it’s a book where, in truth, not that much happens, might work for Seinfeld, but not for creating book buzz. But I loved the pacing and the story diversions. I wish every one of these characters (yes, even the murderer) well.
June 1, 2015
From the harsh opening scene, the reader might not realize that A Slant of Light offers beautifully detailed descriptions of the natural world and thoughtful characters striving to be true and moral. The richness of the prose and the attention to everything "Outside" reminded me of Cold Mountain. When I discovered another character, besides the Outside, in the honor and ritual of Labor, I was really hooked. The tasks in the field, the dairy, or the kitchen all offer a focus and value, when little else makes sense. Perhaps some of these characters are a little depressed: what else to do but earn satisfaction from one's Labor?
From other reviews, I see that some readers were lost by the wordiness, but I slowed down to really enjoy this recreated world of the 1860s. I was rewarded by the romance and sexuality offered up by the several couples: isn't this Eden after all, where people try to be good and just; working hard leads to prosperity; and the fields offer up bounty? Not to forget the mules and the horses. And the ending, for me, was just perfect. More Jeffery Lent, please!
From other reviews, I see that some readers were lost by the wordiness, but I slowed down to really enjoy this recreated world of the 1860s. I was rewarded by the romance and sexuality offered up by the several couples: isn't this Eden after all, where people try to be good and just; working hard leads to prosperity; and the fields offer up bounty? Not to forget the mules and the horses. And the ending, for me, was just perfect. More Jeffery Lent, please!
June 24, 2015
This book is of a literary nature, set in upstate New York (where I grew up)after the Civil War. The story starts off quickly with a violent act and then moves slowly, with abundant character examination and descriptive passages. It's a study of morality and an examination of what's the right thing to do in a complex situation. I liked the setting, with references to landmarks that were familiar to me. The descriptions of the mundane details and endless labors of farm life were achingly similar to what I experienced as a child. The references to historical developments, such as the rise of religious obsessions, was also appreciated. But the story develops too slowly. The nature descriptions, while at times quite lyrical, become tedious. There are maybe one too many righteous stalwarts teasing out what's right and just. It's quite beautifully written, but certainly not a page turner.
May 3, 2015
I have all of Mr. Lent's books and what makes A Slant of Light,like some of his other novels so special is that he is able through his descriptive prose make me feel like I am actually in Western NY and living in the post Civil War era. His character development is so detailed that by the end of the book you know each person intimately and have a vested interest in their lives. Finally, I like that he leaves certain parts of the story unresolved so you as a reader can form your own opinion. His style of writing is not for everyone. His writing is not what some would describe as a "quick read. Sometimes you will find yourself rereading certain passages for clarity and sometimes for pure pleasure. This is a 4.5 book!
July 17, 2015
There was quiet a bit to like about this book. It's a rather old-fashioned story, both in the 19th century farmland setting, and the general tale of small town murder/love/secrets. The writing was fascinating, the story was good enough to keep me engaged, and I really enjoyed most of the characters. The story is still modern in that not all of the plot strands were tied off, but I thought it was a great story overall.
September 22, 2015
His writing is beautiful, but the story dragged on a bit for me. But I would still read anything he wrote.
May 2, 2015
Would rate some of this book five stars, but the author lost me at some points with his dialog and wordiness.
January 27, 2016
Perhaps the finest novel I've ever read. Period.
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