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Gifted
Henry Fielder, solitary and unmoored in his thirties, runs into an old lover and finds himself ready to tell the story he has harbored for nearly two decades.
He is fifteen, in rural western Oregon, enduring a year of sorrows: his mother has died, his father is physically abusive, and his extraordinary spiritual affinity for the wild lives of his native country seems to desert him. The abuse escalates, and ultimately a natural disaster catalyzes a crisis in which father and son betray each other and Henry sets out on a trek through the backcountry of the Oregon Coast Range.
Set in the mid-1990s, when environmentalists and timber communities warred over the future of the last Northwestern old-growth forests, Gifted is the story of a young man with a metaphysical imagination—naive yet wise, gifted yet ordinary—who comes of age under harsh circumstances, negotiating the wildness of his home country, of his human relationships, and of the emerging complexities of his own being.
- GenresFictionComing Of Age
384 pages, Hardcover
First published April 11, 2017
9 people are currently reading
388 people want to read
About the author
John Daniel
176 books13 followersBorn in South Carolina and raised in the suburbs of Washington, D.C., John Daniel has lived in the West since 1966. After attending and dropping out of Reed College in Portland, Oregon, he worked as a logger, railroad inspector, rock climbing instructor, hod carrier, and poet-in-the-schools. He began to write poetry and prose in the 1970s while living on a ranch in south-central Oregon. In 1982 he received a Wallace Stegner Fellowship in Poetry at Stanford University, where he then took an M.A. in English/Creative Writing and taught five years as a Jones Lecturer in Poetry and a lecturer in Freshman English. He now makes his living as a writer and itinerant teacher in workshops and writer-in-residence positions around the country.
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
September 14, 2017
This coming-of-age novel is downright (Ken) Keseyian in its lyrical descriptions of Oregon's Coast Range, and of the harsh/spiritual world of the loggers and enviros who live there. A special treat for Lane County readers are the landmark references, some real and some made up. I liked this book a lot, but did not fall in love with it as I had hoped. I struggled with some of the mysticism-laden dialogue -- words that seemed too wise for even the wisest 15-year-old protagonist.
May 30, 2017
"Sunrise and sunset are made of the same light, and, like gladness and sadness, you can't have one without the other." These words arise in the mind of Henry Fielder at the age of 16. Think he might be an old soul? Yes, oh yes. His beloved mother dies when he is 15. Then later his father kicks the bucket when a tree falls on their house in rural western Oregon. If that plotline sounds like a formulaic YA premise, don't go there. This novel runs deep. Henry is one of those kids who doesn't talk much, who walks the woods in wonder. Woodland creatures who usually bolt away from humans instead step closer to Henry and they share spirit. That is his gift and those are the moments Henry lives for.
But Henry is no saint. A horrific act of violence is at the center of this book. And that violence against Henry only begets more violence. Henry strikes back at the cruel world in ways that only get him deeper into trouble. Yet often he is able to channel wisdom from the native American stories so revered by his mother and from the array of books he hungrily consumes. Henry hates school. He wishes he could just have a tutor for his favorite subject: "biologycosmologyphilosophyreligion."
Often Henry runs away to the woods, with both positive and negative results. At one point, he commits an act of ecoterrorism that could land him in jail for several years. Like many teenagers, he drinks, smokes and discovers sex. Luckily for him, there are many caring adults surrounding him, including neighbors who become his foster parents, a gay man who lives in a commune and various church members.
The story of Henry's troubles is told in hindsight as he tries to write a memoir many years after all the drama of his adolescence. This novel hurt to read. It hurt deep. But for all that, Henry's intuitive pull towards the wisdom of nature is wondrous to behold. Acts of communion are many. Some readers may find the novel too dark. I like dark and yet, at times the novel was almost too dark for me. But there is pure poetry here. Those sublime moments rang true and thus, I was hooked. I will not forget Gifted. It left me itching to go for a walk in the woods. A quiet walk alone, listening deep....
This reveiw also appears on LitLovers.com:
http://www.litlovers.com/reviews/2017...
.
But Henry is no saint. A horrific act of violence is at the center of this book. And that violence against Henry only begets more violence. Henry strikes back at the cruel world in ways that only get him deeper into trouble. Yet often he is able to channel wisdom from the native American stories so revered by his mother and from the array of books he hungrily consumes. Henry hates school. He wishes he could just have a tutor for his favorite subject: "biologycosmologyphilosophyreligion."
Often Henry runs away to the woods, with both positive and negative results. At one point, he commits an act of ecoterrorism that could land him in jail for several years. Like many teenagers, he drinks, smokes and discovers sex. Luckily for him, there are many caring adults surrounding him, including neighbors who become his foster parents, a gay man who lives in a commune and various church members.
The story of Henry's troubles is told in hindsight as he tries to write a memoir many years after all the drama of his adolescence. This novel hurt to read. It hurt deep. But for all that, Henry's intuitive pull towards the wisdom of nature is wondrous to behold. Acts of communion are many. Some readers may find the novel too dark. I like dark and yet, at times the novel was almost too dark for me. But there is pure poetry here. Those sublime moments rang true and thus, I was hooked. I will not forget Gifted. It left me itching to go for a walk in the woods. A quiet walk alone, listening deep....
This reveiw also appears on LitLovers.com:
http://www.litlovers.com/reviews/2017...
.
April 24, 2017
This is a wonderful and unique coming-of-age story that is much darker and full of surprises than I'd expected. Daniel delivers the surprises in clever ways, but they're plausible and earned. Lovely descriptions of this hard-worked coast range forest, very nice musings on spiritual subjects. I don't want to give anything away, so just read it!
June 9, 2017
This is a beautifully written book. The way he writes about nature is really transporting. The material is dark, and really hits a point that I had to step away from the book, and think about whether I wanted to keep reading it or not. However, I stuck with it, and enjoyed it. I recommend to anyone who wants to read some well-written literary fiction about the pacific northwest.
July 29, 2017
A particularly wrenching coming-of-age story, Gifted is set in rural western Oregon. The gorgeous forested land between Eugene and the coast is definitely a character here. Henry, a 15 year-old loner, has an inborn gift onto which he tenuously holds: he communes with nature, both flora and fauna.
His mother has already died when the novel starts, and his relationship with his father is uneasy and complicated. An act of violence sets Henry upon a course from which he cannot escape; a natural disaster soon follows, and Henry's life is ripped apart. Beginning a long, slow slog toward healing, Henry calls on his friends, his intellect, his gift, and his love of writing to help him.
Daniel does a fantastic job of both enlightening and (temporarily) blinding his reader. Touching on themes of eco-terrorism, natural disasters, family (both blood and not), teenage delinquency, coming-of-age, first loves (and losses), Gifted is a beautifully written book with lyrical prose, deeply felt emotions, and close-up -- but, also bird's-eye -- views of the lush landscapes of both the actual terrain, and the human heart, as well. Truly lovely.
His mother has already died when the novel starts, and his relationship with his father is uneasy and complicated. An act of violence sets Henry upon a course from which he cannot escape; a natural disaster soon follows, and Henry's life is ripped apart. Beginning a long, slow slog toward healing, Henry calls on his friends, his intellect, his gift, and his love of writing to help him.
Daniel does a fantastic job of both enlightening and (temporarily) blinding his reader. Touching on themes of eco-terrorism, natural disasters, family (both blood and not), teenage delinquency, coming-of-age, first loves (and losses), Gifted is a beautifully written book with lyrical prose, deeply felt emotions, and close-up -- but, also bird's-eye -- views of the lush landscapes of both the actual terrain, and the human heart, as well. Truly lovely.
May 2, 2017
I may need to read this exquisite novel again before trying to review. A larger-than-life coming of age story, Henry Fielder attempts to write about his traumatic childhood and complex relationships. I loved the passages describing the woods in the coast range near Eugene, Oregon. This is Daniel's first novel.
November 22, 2017
A moving and disturbing book on some levels. A beautiful ode to the Oregon coastal range. A book full of spiritual wisdom, exceptionally fine dialog, religious arguments, raw emotions and transformation.
Henry Fielder is a thirty-five year old man telling the story of his life through the eyes and experiences of a fifteen year old boy. Encouraged by a former lover to write his story, Henry reveals the great forces acting on him during that time in his life. Deeper and deeper he goes, peeling back layer after layer of emotional defense, rationalizations and fabrications until he arrives at the heart of understanding.
Daniel delivers a gut wrenching story. Slow to get started, it picks up speed and intensity as Henry struggles to find himself following the death of his mother. Feeling like an outcast, a misfit in the high school social scene, Henry prefers the solitude of nature and the deep feeling of connection with the living beings of the Oregon coastal range. He has an affinity with nature and a wisdom far beyond the average teenager. But it's not easy. Schooled by his native American mother to love and revere the natural order of life, Henry is conflicted by the reality that his father works for a mill operation that is systematically cutting down the very forests he loves.
Where Henry seems almost too wise for his years spiritually, he is a bundle of raging hormones and emotions. Old enough to feel intensely; old enough to know right from wrong; not quite old enough to fully understand what he thinks he knows. And certainly not at all sure what to do about it. It being his own emotions. It being his identity, his place in the world. Daniel nails the chaotic state of mid-adolescence.
This is a story of transformation, of coming of age, of that period in one's life where maturity takes hold. Fashioned by tragedy and heartache, fueled by anger and hate, softened by love and acceptance and patience, Henry opens to a level of honesty not often reached. Precocious as he may be in some ways, he is not above what nature dictates for all fifteen year olds. Yet all through this year of trial and hardship and emotional ferocity, Henry is not alone. He is surrounded by people willing to help.
Teachers, guides or simply friends who give him the space to figure out his life: the retired couple from California new to Henry's world, the girl at school who sees something special in him, the residents of a commune, a judge, or the familiar family friends who have known him his whole life, all will come to play an important role in his sixteenth year. Yet as important as they all may be in shaping the trajectory of his life, what Henry has, what makes the biggest difference in the outcome of his story is his own inner light.
The same inner light that lives in all of us. The same awareness, the same capacity to touch life and feel connected to everything and everyone. The same light that feeds a yearning to know, to touch, to feel something greater than ourselves. In some it burns brightly. In some it's scarcely an ember. Some of us know it's there. Some of us don't. Henry knew it was his Gift.
Henry Fielder is a thirty-five year old man telling the story of his life through the eyes and experiences of a fifteen year old boy. Encouraged by a former lover to write his story, Henry reveals the great forces acting on him during that time in his life. Deeper and deeper he goes, peeling back layer after layer of emotional defense, rationalizations and fabrications until he arrives at the heart of understanding.
Daniel delivers a gut wrenching story. Slow to get started, it picks up speed and intensity as Henry struggles to find himself following the death of his mother. Feeling like an outcast, a misfit in the high school social scene, Henry prefers the solitude of nature and the deep feeling of connection with the living beings of the Oregon coastal range. He has an affinity with nature and a wisdom far beyond the average teenager. But it's not easy. Schooled by his native American mother to love and revere the natural order of life, Henry is conflicted by the reality that his father works for a mill operation that is systematically cutting down the very forests he loves.
Where Henry seems almost too wise for his years spiritually, he is a bundle of raging hormones and emotions. Old enough to feel intensely; old enough to know right from wrong; not quite old enough to fully understand what he thinks he knows. And certainly not at all sure what to do about it. It being his own emotions. It being his identity, his place in the world. Daniel nails the chaotic state of mid-adolescence.
This is a story of transformation, of coming of age, of that period in one's life where maturity takes hold. Fashioned by tragedy and heartache, fueled by anger and hate, softened by love and acceptance and patience, Henry opens to a level of honesty not often reached. Precocious as he may be in some ways, he is not above what nature dictates for all fifteen year olds. Yet all through this year of trial and hardship and emotional ferocity, Henry is not alone. He is surrounded by people willing to help.
Teachers, guides or simply friends who give him the space to figure out his life: the retired couple from California new to Henry's world, the girl at school who sees something special in him, the residents of a commune, a judge, or the familiar family friends who have known him his whole life, all will come to play an important role in his sixteenth year. Yet as important as they all may be in shaping the trajectory of his life, what Henry has, what makes the biggest difference in the outcome of his story is his own inner light.
The same inner light that lives in all of us. The same awareness, the same capacity to touch life and feel connected to everything and everyone. The same light that feeds a yearning to know, to touch, to feel something greater than ourselves. In some it burns brightly. In some it's scarcely an ember. Some of us know it's there. Some of us don't. Henry knew it was his Gift.
May 31, 2017
The novel I'm currently writing bears striking similarity to this one, so I was very interested in reading it. The writing and descriptions are beautiful, but at times, they are too beautiful. I never believed I was reading a 15-year-old boy. I liked the themes of family and violence and environmentalism, but I didn't particularly care for the ending, which kind of came out of nowhere. Overall, though, I did enjoy the book, and I always wanted to keep reading. It's likely more of a 3.5, but I rounded it up because it inspired me to get back to writing my own story.
July 22, 2017
I was disappointed in this book. I had high expectations going in - Northwest author, coming of age in a small Oregon town not unlike the one I live in, etc. I was even prepared for views on the timber industry that I don't agree with. Although the author appeared to give a somewhat balanced description of the conflict between those employed in the timber industry and environmentalist, in truth he made the loggers out to be dumb, religious zealots and the environmentalist to be well educated, peaceful, respectful people. Not a fair portrayal at all, in my opinion. However, that isn't why I didn't like the book. I thought the father figure was an unbelievable character, the "commune" was unbelievable, and the kid's character just didn't ring true. Basically, it just wasn't very well written. There were two things in the book that were great though. The description of the "gift" was wonderful and believable, and the death of an old man was spot on and beautifully written.
January 25, 2018
My God, what a wonderful book. Dare I use the word “masterpiece?” I dare. John Daniel’s nonfiction is wonderful, but I think this novel is even better. Our protagonist, 15-year-old Henry Fiedler, is having a hard year. His mother has died. Life alone with his abusive father is no picnic. Henry is only happy out in nature, where he seems to have gift for nonverbal communication with wild animals. But things are tough. Henry is already drinking, trying drugs, and cutting himself. But things are going to get a lot worse. On the good side, he has met environmentalists Cart and Josie, who support and encourage him, and a very special guy named Raven. This book is set in the western Oregon wilderness not far from where I live. If only I had half of Daniel’s gift for describing the natural world. The language is glorious, and the story has many layers. While telling a whale of a story, he gets into some major issues, including the controversy between loggers and environmentalists, child abuse, and homosexuality. He touches on religion and Native American mysticism. At the end of the ride, I just keep saying, “Wow.”
July 2, 2017
This novel is set in Oregon, partly in Portland but mostly rural around the Coast Range. I loved the writing; his descriptions of both nature and urban life were excellent. He also did a great job of setting up scenes and portraying events. There was something about the structure that seemed awkward, and some portions of the story stretched credibility, Consequently, even though his writing shows a reverance for creation nearly approaching that of Brian Doyle, I'm reluctant to give it a higher rating. However, I did find that Doyle included one of Daniel's essays in his anthology: A sense of wonder: the world's best writers on the sacred, the profane, and the ordinary. I will read more by him and plan to obtain some of his earlier books.
September 15, 2022
I was captivated by the imagery on the cover when I saw this book in the library, and sold when I read the description on the back. The prose was enchanting.
But the story ended up being a huge disappointment.
Spoilers: The protagonist is maddeningly selfish and unlikable, and the book ultimately devolves into nothing but a journey into homosexuality. This comes as a shock, because that's not the direction the book appears to be going in the first half. The author hides this "gotcha" well. Then the protagonist eats some hallucinogenic mushrooms and "realizes" he's gay. He grows up to accomplish nothing and feels aimless and unfulfilled. The end. The novel borderline justifies incestual rape.
But the story ended up being a huge disappointment.
Spoilers: The protagonist is maddeningly selfish and unlikable, and the book ultimately devolves into nothing but a journey into homosexuality. This comes as a shock, because that's not the direction the book appears to be going in the first half. The author hides this "gotcha" well. Then the protagonist eats some hallucinogenic mushrooms and "realizes" he's gay. He grows up to accomplish nothing and feels aimless and unfulfilled. The end. The novel borderline justifies incestual rape.
October 1, 2019
This book was surprising. Again and again, it showed me new facets of the story. Over the reading of it, I grew to love Henry. I could see my own love and connection to nature and feel nixed feelings for my own father, who lived the best life he could, despite shortcomings.
John Daniel's characters are multi faceted. They rise up off the page and into your waking, non-reading hours. His dream scenes are so realistic. So much of my truth is in this book.
His dream sequences are spot on. You will feel this book, I believe.
"Who are you really, wanderer?" William Stafford from "A Story That Could Be True."
John Daniel's characters are multi faceted. They rise up off the page and into your waking, non-reading hours. His dream scenes are so realistic. So much of my truth is in this book.
His dream sequences are spot on. You will feel this book, I believe.
"Who are you really, wanderer?" William Stafford from "A Story That Could Be True."
May 14, 2018
I have read some of his non-fiction nature writing, so I liked those aspects of the book the best. The story was interesting, with a number of unexpected twists. I found his philosophical musings worth contemplation. I expected there to be more about the timber wars, but I guess he was trying to be "balanced." I'm not sure if he succeeded, but I did like hearing his perspective. All in all, a very worthwhile read and I think it would make a great book club discussion book!
July 2, 2017
I LOVED this book. The author has a magical way with words, using them to induce a vivid imagery in the mind's eye as you read. It contains mature content, so I don't recommend it for less than age 17.
December 5, 2017
Well written, engaging, hard to put down, but disturbing. Difficult for me to relate to some of the subject matter, and couldn't agree with some of the author's viewpoints, morals. The best part of it, for me, was the constant references to locations near my home.
July 22, 2017
Very visual book. A boy's journey throughout a intense couple years off loss and tragedy and how he struggles to reclaim his gift that eludes him when he needs it the most.
November 13, 2018
Started slow but then picked up. Loved all the Oregon references.
December 22, 2019
Could not get through this book.
August 22, 2019
I deeply enjoyed this novel. So much so that I'm a bit lost for words trying to think of what to say.
What I CAN say is, as a born-and-raised Oregonian, this is the most Oregonian thing I've ever read. Full stop.
And the twist near the end? I deeply appreciated. I was so excited that I yelled, out loud. I rushed up to my roommate and told him what it was. While it was the most visible of my emotional swells during the reading of this novel, it was by no means the only one. I wish John Daniel was in front of me so I could thank him personally... But, hey, this state can be smaller than it looks, so maybe I can someday.
What I CAN say is, as a born-and-raised Oregonian, this is the most Oregonian thing I've ever read. Full stop.
And the twist near the end? I deeply appreciated. I was so excited that I yelled, out loud. I rushed up to my roommate and told him what it was. While it was the most visible of my emotional swells during the reading of this novel, it was by no means the only one. I wish John Daniel was in front of me so I could thank him personally... But, hey, this state can be smaller than it looks, so maybe I can someday.
Read
June 23, 2017Reading this book was like going to a holistic and hostile place. Dangerous and yet I trusted the guide. Nostalgia for a lost time, the beauty and magic of nature, the loss of faith. I was taken by the prose. I was surprised by events. I have much respect for the author. It is disturbing on many layers, but I remember the pace of rain and the voice of trees.
October 24, 2018
A very engaging read. I like that he was able to relay that Pacific Northwest feel.
September 19, 2017
Pretty good writing, especially the descriptions of Oregon wilderness and weather.
April 9, 2018
An extraordinary book, filled with beautiful descriptions, love, hate, philosophy. A teenage boy's mother dies, He finds peace in the forest of the Oregon Coast. But something terrible happens and his life changes forever. He meets wonderful people who help him, but it is a difficult journey. A very special book.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews