The Northern Reach

by W.S. Winslow

W. S. Winslow's The Northern Reach is a heart-wrenching first novel about the power of place and family ties, the weight of the stories we choose to tell, and the burden of those we hide.

Frozen in grief after the loss of her son at sea, Edith Baines stares across the water at a schooner, under full sail yet motionless in the winter wind and surging tide of the Northern Reach. Edith seems to be hallucinating. Or is she? Edith’s boat-watch opens The Northern Reach, set in the coastal town of Wellbridge, Maine, where townspeople squeeze a living from the perilous bay or scrape by on the largesse of the summer folk and whatever they can cobble together, salvage, or grab.

At the center of town life is the Baines family, land-rich, cash-poor descendants of town founders, along with the ne’er-do-well Moody clan, the Martins of Skunk Pond, and the dirt farming, bootlegging Edgecombs. Over the course of the twentieth century, the families intersect, interact, and intermarry, grappling with secrets and prejudices that span generations, opening new wounds and reckoning with old ghosts.

The Northern Reach is a breathtaking debut about the complexity of family, the cultural legacy of place, and the people and experiences that shape us.

Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Literary Fiction, Contemporary, Family, Historical, Adult

240 pages, Paperback

First published March 2, 2021

About the author

I'm a ninth generation Mainer, descended from both Pilgrims and Puritans with the odd French fur trapper thrown in, a blood and guts background if ever there was one.

Though I was born and brought up in Maine, I spent my adult life mostly in New York, where my husband and I raised our daughter. We also lived in San Francisco for five years before returning to Maine in 2019 to settle in a small town Downeast, where it is very very quiet.

My MFA is from NYU, and I also have undergraduate and graduate degrees in French from the University of Maine. The Northern Reach is my first novel.

Reviews

[Angela M · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded up for the beautiful writing and sense of place.

An ambitious debut filled with loss, tragedies, grief, disappointments, infidelity, resentment, family dysfunction, flawed characters, and love. The narrative structure is what I would describe as what seemed like a collection of connected stories of several families over generations from multiple perspectives. There are quite a few characters; sometimes it felt like too many. That made it a little hard to make the connections, to figure out the relationships, to really know any of them. However, overall I really enjoyed it. The writing is lovely in places. The Maine setting is almost a character in itself. I especially liked the ending, as it takes the reader full circle with the last chapter tying up threads from the beginning. Winslow is an author I’ll be watching for.


I read this with my book buddies, Diane and Esil.

I received an advanced copy of this book from Flatiron/Macmillan through Edelweiss.

[Diane S ☔ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wellbridge, Maine, the story starts in the early 1900s, where a woman is grieving the loss of her husband and eldest son, to the sea. In these interconnected stories we follow the lives of four families from different social and economic spheres. Their griefs, small snippets of joy, watch as the connect with each other, intermarry and try to wrench a life from what they are given. Lives lived, lives lost, some move away, many return and others stay, accepting a fate that seems impossible to overcome.

This is a first novel, and a well done one. The setting of this rugged place is beautifully described, the wildlife, the fauna, the sea, all make this setting come to life. The tone is melancholy, which actually fits my mood lately, but there are small glimpses of humor and small bits of joy.

Many characters, but my copy had family trees at the beginning and several of the chapters had a character from a previous chapter, so these were easier to place. As with most books with multiple characters I had my favorites. The story of Lilianne and George and the story of Alice. Alice's story affected me the most emotionally and one that has stayed with me.

My monthly read with Angela and Lise. I love the books and conversations that go with these reads.

ARC from Edelweiss.

[Carole · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Northern Reach is W.S. Winslow’s first novel and what a beginning this is. The story takes the reader to a small seaside town, Wellbridge, Maine. We eavesdrop on the lives of four families: the Baines family, the Martins, the Edgecombs and the Moody family and we are witness to their despair, their joys, their problems, their loves, their lies, their deaths. W.S. Winslow is a ninth generation Mainer and she writes with a finger on the pulse of her characters. I have laughed and I have cried while reading this lovely little book and I would read it again anytime. If you enjoy family drama and family sagas, The Northern Reach is the book for you. Following these families through several generations as their lives intermingle is pure pleasure. I look forward to reading future novels by Ms. Winslow. Highly recommended. Thank you to Flatiron Books, NetGalley and the author for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 rounded up

I enjoyed this debut immensely. What a wonderful set of interconnected stories this was! Told from many different perspectives (even ghosts!), this is a story of family and all that it entails to be part of one either by blood or marriage. It also spanned a little over a century in time so there was a lot to cover, but I thought it was done brilliantly.

I've been to Maine a couple of times, but never during the winter. Living in the NE, I know a harsh weather climate, and I thought the authenticity of the author's ability to capture what it must be like to live in the climate of ME all year round brilliantly came across with these characters. The harshness, resiliency and determination of everyone she wrote about demonstrated just how much people are a product of the land. If you're looking for a book of likeable characters, I don't think this one is it. However, I think the beauty of the way the book was written was that it shows just how the characters became the way they did. It was real and authentic. It was pitch perfect for the days when you're yearning for warmer weather and the rebirth of all that is beautiful with Spring. I can honestly say that I loved each story and would highly recommend this for anyone who loves literary fiction and family dramas.

**Important Note: In my opinion, the best way to read this book is to have a print copy. There are a bunch of family trees on the first page and segments of those trees are referenced in the beginning of each story. I was constantly flipping back and forth to reference them as I was reading and it helped remember who everyone was and how they were connected since I wasn't able to read this all at once.


Thank you to Flatiron Books and W.S. Winslow for the gifted finished copy in exchange for an honest review!

Review Date: 03/02/21
Publication Date: 03/02/21

[Esil · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wouldn't really call this a novel so much as a series of interrelated stories. The stories are set in Maine and span from early 20th century to 2017. They focus on a series of character related by blood or marriage. This is an impressive first work of fiction. I did not love every story and I found them a bit uneven in tone -- most were dark and melancholy whereas a couple aimed at humour but felt a bit like caricatures. But a few stories knocked my socks off so I am forgiving of the inconsistencies. To my surprise, one of my favourites featured a ghost -- what if you died and were able to hear your adult children's reactions and musings about your life... I will definitely look for Winslow's next fictional work. This was a buddy read with Angela and Diane, and, as usual, so nice to read with them. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me access to an advance copy.

[Olive Fellows (abookolive) · Rating 3 out of 5]

A novel in short stories about interconnecting families in a Maine town that highlights the complex problems and dynamics overflowing in small communities.

In her debut, W.S. Winslow tells the stories of (primarily) four storied families in the seaside town of Wellbridge, Maine: the Lawsons, the Baineses, the Moodys, and the Martins. Some of these families have been in Wellbridge since the late 19th century, connecting with one another through marriage and shattering internally because of the fact that they’re...well...families.

Each chapter looks at one group of people at a critical moment in time. For example: the opening chapter introduces the Baineses a year after the devastating loss of two family members; George Lawson gets fed up with his home life and enlists in the military; the death of her father forces Victoria Moody to confront the family she’s long tried to escape; and Imelda Martin would like something to be on her own terms, even if it’s her death.

A family tree sits at the start of the book and turns out to be a great resource as characters are introduced (and sometimes reintroduced at different points in their lives later on in the book), but a zoomed-in section of the family tree is provided before each chapter along with the year in which the chapter takes place. This is basically essential to understanding the links between family members and the families in Wellbridge so audiobook fans: beware! You’ll likely be missing a crucial aspect to this book if you don’t also have a physical or e-copy.

There were a lot of high points in this book. And by that I don’t mean that the characters experience much happiness because things are fairly bleak throughout the whole book. Many characters don’t end up with what they want and have to overcome huge obstacles just to be able to call the shots in their own lives. But the town of Wellbridge really sings through. The depth of the connections between these families and how simultaneously tight-knit, but also unforgiving a small community can be felt extremely realistic. It’s a blunt but honest portrait of a coastal town and the whole book feels like the sting of the chill in the air on your face when you’re standing in front of the ocean. It hurts, but you’re tempted to lean in.

That said, some of the chapters are much stronger and more memorable than others. Any chapter dealing with the Baineses was a winner and the long-awaited introduction of the Moody family was fantastic. But that introduction came so late into the book and, for as much as the Moodys were discussed in other chapters, I expected more than one chapter on them. The chapters in the latter half of the book were notably weaker, with one family being introduced that was not on the main family tree. I still can’t figure out who they are, but I’ve given up caring.

An interesting and, in places, effective dissection of a seaside Maine community, but ultimately uneven.

Catch me over on my Booktube channel for more book discussion! www.youtube.com/c/abookolive

A big thank you to Flatiron for my free review copy.

[Willow Anne · Rating 1 out of 5]

I absolutely love the cover of this book, and I was extremely excited when I won a copy of it in a Goodreads giveaway. Unfortunately, that was the extent of my enjoyment of this book.

While the character development throughout the novel was excellent, I didn't actually like a single one of those characters. Each and every one of them were crude, had almost no morals, and were extraordinarily selfish. Even the children, who at first seem innocent and good, are revealed 30 years later to be just as bad as everyone else.

I'm also amazed at the sheer number of characters that were written into this novel. I assumed when I began that the narrative would circle back around to the same characters, but that's not what happened at all. Instead, each character got their one moment in the spotlight, with the story being from their perspective for a short time before moving on to a different person's perspective and never going back. This made it fairly difficult to keep track of all the characters as I read, and without the family tree timelines at the beginning of each chapter, I wouldn't have been able to do so at all. It felt as though I was able to hear from the perspective of every single person in this small town, and for me personally, this just became a bit much. It got to the point where I didn't really care about the characters because I knew we'd soon be moving on from them.

The lack of a plot also made it difficult for me to really get into the story, as the storyline jumped around from person to person without having any sort of defined structure or purpose. I'm still uncertain as to the point of this novel, as the only thing it has accomplished for me personally is to deter me from ever moving to northern Maine.

Finally, this book was overwhelmingly depressing. I kept looking for any sort of happiness, but there was none to be found anywhere in this town. A drop of sunshine in anyone was immediately crushed, either by the dreadful weather or by the other people in the town. Everyone in the story had such a sad life, and there was nothing to indicate that their lives would ever improve.

This book just wasn't for me, and despite my efforts to enjoy it I found myself simply wishing that the book would end, to put the characters out of their misery. I do really appreciate that I received this book, I just didn't enjoy reading it, and I hope that others who read it will be able to enjoy this novel more than I did myself.

[Yvonne G · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Grant the unburied eternal rest”

Mmm! I’m not really too sure where to begin with rationalising my thoughts about this book. I really do believe that this is one of those stories which takes every reader on an individual journey, whereby each of us will probably have one or two unique ‘stand out’ characters and moments that will stick with us for some time after the final page has been read. I know I have!

Likewise, it is also quite difficult to pigeon-hole the book into a specific genre. Personally, for me this is very much a work of literary and cultural fiction, as it is definitely all about the essence of the characters and a sense of time and place, rather than any earth-shatteringly, fast-paced frenetic plot; making it for me, a profoundly moving and often heart-wrenching reading experience, definitely giving this book great merit as a breath-taking, quality debut novel, by a new author with consummate storytelling skills, who writes beautifully, with great authority, total confidence and, more importantly, authentically and straight from the heart.

There really is no beginning, middle or end to this story. It simply and vividly brought to life, snapshots and milestone moments in time, during the 20th and 21st Centuries, featuring and bringing into focus, intricate and detailed vignettes of the people, the places and the unfolding events. Whilst passing mention is made of other areas and countries and even continents, this small, insular, waterfront corner of Maine, New England, is the central showcase and pivotal focus, of this sprawling generational family saga.

When I say ‘family’ saga, that is to say that the author has expertly and seamlessly constructed and woven together, a multi-layered menagerie of three or four predominant families, who over the course of time have intermarried, interbred, loved, fought, divorced, separated, lied and died, so that even with the help of mini family trees at the beginning of each chapter, it got to the stage where I couldn’t remember just who was related to whom and what their place was in this sprawling dynasty of dysfunction, disagreement, distrust, scandal, resentment and self-destruction.

This wonderfully textured, slowly unfolding story, was all about the compelling blend of words and visuality in the narrative and dialogue, between the members of these unconventional, complex and multi-faceted characters, who were really almost impossible to connect with, apart from at a very superficial level and who were definitely not investable as an engaging community, no matter at whose window in time the spotlight shone. Actions (usually fists) often cruel, spoke louder than words and whilst much of this blame could be laid at the door of ignorance, ill-breeding and familial connections, there also needs to be some allowance made for the conditions of this wasteland landscape they found themselves slave to. From the clandestine Ku Klux Klan to the inevitability of the bootleg black-market; from land rich cash poor dirt farming to the dangers and trials of a life pitted against the sea, stoicism binds them all together. Dark times and even darker thoughts are all-pervading, between characters who seem unable to share the same space and air together, yet can’t seem to live without one another. Together they are troubled, but alone they are lost and lonely souls.

In all fairness, many from the later generations, afforded some degree of education, did try to make good their escape from the clutches of this barren swathe of land, however as if lured by some seductive siren, or fastened by some invisible thread to their past and the struggles and complex experiences which had helped to shape them, they kept returning to Wellbridge’s bleak and brutal shores, where the ghosts of the past still held sway over the destiny of the living.

[Judith von Kirchbach · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading W.S. Winslow’s The Northern Reach is like stepping into a black and white photograph featuring the work and family life in 20th century Maine. Industrial hard work
In a collection of vignettes about four families over the course of a century, the author chooses specific moments in the characters’ lives to illustrate entire lifetimes, introducing the reader to the characters' dark moments and their glory-filled memories. It was a fascinating read almost like a short story collection but anchored by place and the familial connection.

Winslow’s writing is a fantastic read engaging all senses, you can see, taste, feel, hear and smell the scenes, she knows how to use words to convey every sense or emotion and it’s a revelation in character development.

I can’t stop thinking about this novel, its characters, and their lives. They are haunting. So much gin and so many cigarettes, happiness seems fleeting. Winslow’s characters reveal a level of intimacy with the reader that is hard to attain.
This is a great read,

I received a free ARC through NetGalley and Flatiron books in exchange for an honest review.

[Fictionophile · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars rounded up

This is a series of interrelated stories about families in a small Maine fishing community. It follows them all, the 'haves' and the 'have-nots' over a span of time from 1907 to 2017. The characters are related by blood or marriage.

First I have to say that the writing was touching in its authenticity. A beautifully written narrative told through multiple narrators, this did not feel like a novel at all.

The setting is one that I can easily relate to and have visited many times. I live in Nova Scotia and Maine is less than a hundred miles away as the crow flies. The book astutely described the weather during the long Maine winters and believe me, you can't live in this area of the world without the topic of the changeable and volatile weather entering the conversation at some point.

"Above the reach, low clouds sleepwalk across the February sky. Today they are fibrous, striated, like flesh being slowly torn from bone. It's four in the afternoon and already night has started chewing away the edges of the day."

The stories follow the characters through all of life's milestones. Childbirth, marriages, parenting, betrayals, terminal diagnoses, divorces, scandals, funerals, shame and loneliness - lots of loneliness. It follows families who love each other and others who can barely stand to stay in the same room as one another. It showcases the insular nature of some small communities, and how one family's loss or disgrace can radiate throughout the community having profound affects on multiple generations. It highlights how years of resentments and feeling of encumbrance can build enough to break you. How some people really should never have children...

At times the writing can get very dark, with the resentments, frustrations, and unhappiness oozing from the narrative. Other times are more light-hearted. My favorite characters were the French born Liliane and the recently deceased Alice.

Above all this book is imminently memorable with some scenes that have seared themselves onto my consciousness.

Would I recommend this book? Yes, wholeheartedly.  Though be warned, if you are looking for something with a definitive beginning, middle and end you will not find it here. Much like the lives it describes, it is not linear.

All in all, this is an astounding writing debut.

[Bandit · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m the first one to review this book. Let’s try to do it justice. Northern Reach takes you all the way to Maine. A bleak forbidding state. A state literature has over the years, from King to Connolly, has made into a sort of place where nightmares dwell. Outside of lovely coastlines, seems like one of those places where if you’re there, you should just scoot right over to Canada and at least live in a proper first world country, but anyway…Unlike King or Connolly or a slew of other writers of horrific, the Maine of the author’s representation here is all natural, nothing super about it. Just an unwelcoming harsh land and climate that produce a sort of weathered leathered individuals best suited to survival in it. The book follows several generations of the same (sometimes interconnected) families, the main one being the Baines. There are genealogies provided for each chapter, but you can get the idea just by reading the book. No one really reproduces in excess, considerately enough, so it’s easy to track the characters. The story takes the readers from the early 1900s all the way to almost present day. Each chapter follows a different branch of the family tree, some follow different families. It’s definitely a classic epitome of character driven fiction, though their representations craft a grand picture of the life in the state itself. Basically, the characters are the trees and Maine is the forest, but both are on display plainly enough. So the people in this book are varied enough and change throughout the years, but the state remains much the same, the brief summers and endless winters, the bruteness of it all. It’s almost like they should put a measuring stick at the entry saying you have to be this tough to survive. Not all do, some die, some leave. And some are drawn back. Strange place…Maine. Must be something to it, seems like there’s a certain sort of self reliant mentality prevalent to it, combined with small town insularity, Puritans would have been proud. So anyway…that’s essentially a book, a quiet meditation of Maine and Mainers, stretched out over generations. A lot of it is about familial connections too. Fine writing, really, this is proper literature, certainly. Not the most exciting of reading experiences, this isn’t an event driven sort of narrative, but for character writing its excellent. And it reads quickly enough. Which is good, because it’s much too bleak for a long drawn out slog. This is definitely the sort of thing you have to be in the mood for, but the quality is there. Thanks Netgalley.

[Andria Potter · Rating 4 out of 5]

3 stars rounded up to 4. The first chapter blew me away; darkly atmospheric, enthralling ghostly tales are my jam! But as it progressed I found myself less and less interested. I am torn on rating this so based on the first chapter I am giving it 4 ⭐. Beautiful writing and strong start but eventually I just grew bored towards the end.

[Nicholas · Rating 5 out of 5]

The comparisons to Olive Kitteridge will be inevitable--interlocking short stories in one Maine town, some shared characters-- but it's not just the format of the Northern Reach that is like Strout's work. Like Olive, It's just beautifully written. There are also differences: this book is about many members of a multi-generational family, and we see them over 100 years. Unlike Olive, there is no one central character. It's also much more working-class. There are some middle- and upper-middle-class members of this family, but many of them are quite down on their luck.

I really loved it.

[Nana · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher for an honest review. Being a Mainer I was excited when I saw this book. To me, the author told us the family history, what was going on during that time, and what the people was like. If you are like me and enjoy learning about family history, what it was like when they were alive, and what the culture was like, you are going to enjoy reading this book.
I thought it was fascinating, I learned a lot, and I really got a sense of what life was like back then and though out the generations. People and relationships are complex and the author did an amazing job of bringing them to us so we could understand them and the why the did things. Things I never gave any thought to before, I am thinking about them now.
Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC, it has inspired me to do some digging and see what I can learn.

[Desiree Reads · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ummm.... gross... @ 93% the town sheriff turns out to be gay and retires to Daytona Beach with his deputy. Exit time.
Book was pretty good up to this point.... Impressive work by the author in portraying so many disparate characters.

[Danielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I got this book for the Lit League December theme (set in winter or a snowy location). It fits the bill well, set in northern Maine (most of the characters make a point to bitch about the winter weather). It's basically a collection of loosely connected short stories about various characters from several families living in Wellbridge, Maine, across several decades.

It works pretty well. The stories are readable and the characters are vivid. The problem is that the stories jump around and, with each new story, it takes a while to figure out how the characters in this story are connected to the people and events in the previous stories. I'm not sure it's necessary (or wholly satisfying) to make the reader work quite this hard to hold onto the narrative thread.

It's a nice little window into the foibles of small town people, but there's hardly anyone to root for here - the author casts a pretty critical eye on both the poor/working class characters and the more wealthy/middle class characters who have escaped (or are attempting to escape) the area. The author portrays most of them as jerks, and they don't much care for, or about, each other either. I did enjoy the final story, told by Suzanne, about trying to get situated after her divorce...

I found myself thinking a lot about Stephen King's books and stories, because the location and, to some extent, the characters share some similarities; but King conveys a sense of affection (or wonder) for even his flawed characters that is mostly missing here (and rather sorely missed).

[Patricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novel kept me quite entertained. It is about a family living in Maine and the strange tales that go with it. I believe this will be enjoyed by many.

[Cathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book’s structure – a series of interconnected stories set in a fictional coastal town in Maine – will no doubt provoke comparisons with Elizabeth Strout’s Olive Kitteridge and Olive, Again. However, the stories that make up The Northern Reach stretch over a period of time – from 1904 to 2017 ��� and follow the lives of members of four families whose fortunes intermingle over the generations. There are a lot of characters to keep track of but, thankfully, the author has provided a series of family trees which I certainly found myself referring to frequently.

The Northern Reach encompasses tragedy, loss, family breakdown and infidelity but also includes welcome moments of humour. I particularly liked the story ‘Striptease’, which although it has an undercurrent of sadness, describes a joyful daytrip in which a woman throws caution – along with a few other things – to the wind.

Although many of the characters are not particularly likeable, the author has a keen eye for how people behave and react to others. For example, in the chapter entitled ‘Starvation Diet’ set in 1966, Liliane, born in France, encounters snobbery from her husband’s relatives and their neighbours. At a “pot luck”, which she learns is nothing at all like a dinner party, she endures rather unsubtle put-downs from her mother-in-law, including deliberately mispronouncing Liliane’s name and comments about “fancy food”.

In ‘Planting Tiger’, Victoria is forced to return to Wellbridge for the funeral of her father, known to all as ‘Tiger’. It’s a town, and a past, she has done her best to leave behind. “Victoria picked her way through the clots of gossiping biddies, low-slung keg bellies, and blondes who could only be Tiger’s ex-wives or girlfriends.”  Ashamed of her family for reasons which will become apparent, she is dismayed at the unexpected arrival of her fiancé, Tino, especially when her mother, Jessie, turns up and introduces herself to him. Mishearing his name, Jessie wonders “what kind of parents named their kid after a member of the Jackson 5, and not even the famous one“.

‘Requiem (For The Unburied)’ set in 2017, recalls the event to which Edith Baines’ memory repeatedly returns in the opening chapter of the book, but also involves a more recent tragedy reaching well beyond the confines of Wellbridge. I can’t finish this review without mentioning the beautiful descriptions of the coastal scenery which is the backdrop to events in the lives of so many of the characters. ‘The slate-blue bay shudders beneath a gusting wind, foamy whitecaps breaking here and there.  The high tide has just started to turn, and in a few hours, the waterline will have retreated twenty feet from where it is now, leaving behind a wet moonscape of barnacle-crusted boulders, mounds of ochre seaweed, and even the odd starfish…’.

I really enjoyed the beautiful writing and the varied characters brought to life in The Northern Reach. I thought it was an impressive debut and I’d be keen to read whatever the author comes up with next.

[Michele · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Northern Reach is set in Maine. This is an integral part of the story because even though the characters change from chapter to chapter, the setting remains the same. This book spans from 1904 until 2017. It follows the lives of family members over the years, detailing their joys, sorrows, successes and failures. The story focuses primarily on three families and blends with others throughout the years.

The descriptive elements of this book were well done. The setting and characters were realistic and detailed. Unfortunately, the book felt a little disjointed to me. I believe that the point was to demonstrate how the families changed and evolved from year to year, all while they lived in Maine. It just didn't quite work for me. I felt that some of the chapters didn't connect with others. The overall book lacked a sense of cohesion in my opinion. That said, I did enjoy some things about the author's writing style and would be open to reading other works in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I voluntarily chose to review it and the opinions contained within are my own.

[Cmrhudy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don’t know why, but this book just didn’t draw me in. There were characters who I could care about, but many I just did not. I was interested in the family trees that appeared at the beginning of each section, and I anticipated that the stories would all be knit together somehow. Did not happen. A lot seemed unresolved.

[That Book Guy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Through Net Galley, I read an advance copy of The Northern Reach by W. S. Winslow. This touching, thought provoking novel follows multiple generations of four families that all reside in Wellbridge, a seaside village located on the coast of Central Maine. Using a series of vignettes that jump from family to family, generation to generation, we get to know the Baines, Martins, Edgecombs and Moodys, families that live in close proximity but separated by money, religion, education and social status. Given the scope of the books, it spans from 1904 to 1917, we get to know the characters in short snippets at important moments within their respective lives. While many of the characters are memorable, the standouts for this writer are a French expat/transplant and overlooked, underestimated women who initially is in the background but ultimately becomes the emotional center for many of the characters depicted in the book.

I’ll admit, The Northern Reach is not the type/genre of book that I typically read or review but I am so glad that I was afforded the opportunity to read it. I absolutely loved this book. Ms. Winslow shows a deft touch while exploring a variety of sensitive topics that affect the various families including domestic violence, poverty, religion and mental illness.

In one vignette, the author explores how the adult children react and deal with the recent death of their mother. The interactions between the siblings that range from anger to laughter, sadness to fondness. feel honest and completely true to life. While I enjoyed the entire book, this vignette will stick with me for a long time.

Not out until March of 2021, The Northern Reach is an absolute must read. W.S. Winslow is a major talent and a writer to watch.

An e-book copy of The Norther Reach was the only compensation received in exchange for this review. My thanks to Net Galley and Flatiron Books for the opportunity to read this book and provide feedback.

[Amy Sparks · Rating 2 out of 5]

As someone who enjoys multi-generational novels, I was looking forward to reading this book detailing the lives of families in a small coastal town on Maine’s Northern Reach. I read the first chapter enjoying the writer’s vivid descriptions of Wellbridge, Maine, and the women grieving the unexpected deaths of two family members. Winslow’s word pictures made it easy to envision the characters in the setting, and I eagerly anticipated learning more about this family and its common acquaintances.

Unfortunately, the depictions grew less interesting as the book went on. The descriptive prose was still wonderful, but the plot and characterizations were not. There was little character development as the characters in each chapter made the same mistakes as those before. Winslow offered little insight after presenting each scenario, with major events sprouting from previous stories thrown in as a casual aside. We meet characters, we see short snippets of their lives, and then abruptly change to a different family and different generations.

Winslow’s descriptions of people and places left me eager for more but left hanging in the breeze more often than not. I hope that in future works the author will continue to create interesting characters and develop them in a way that lets the reader become fully engaged in their circumstances.

Thanks to NetGalley and Flatiron Books for providing me an advanced review copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Brett Benner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fans of Elizabeth Strout and her prickly protagonist Olive Kitteridge will feel completely at ease in W.S. Winslow’s debut novel. Set in the coastal town of Wellbridge Maine, and spanning nearly one hundred years in the lives of two families that for better or worse continue to intermingle, Winslow assembles what is essentially a series of short stories connected through familial bonds. With this construct she plays loosely with time moving backwards and forwards the indication of where and with whom we are shown on a extended family tree, that to be honest, on the kindle was near impossible to read. A physical book or tablet should eliminate this issue. Winslow like Strout digs deep into the wellspring of human emotions, loss and pain, love and longing all presented through various characters, one of my favorite stories seen through the eyes of a mother who is passing over while her grown children stand by her bedside. Like any short story collection, some were more effective and affecting than others, but all are at least good if not very good, immediate and accessible, and I’ll be interested to see what Winslow writes next.
Thanks to @flatiron_books and @netgalley for the copy.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a collection of dark stories of small town Mainers, touching all the branches of an extended family tree, with more references to death and dying than I would have thought could make for a 5-star novel. Somehow the beauty of the writing, the surprising humor, and the depth of the characters made it just that. If you follow the families further out, I suspect Olive Kitteridge would join the tree, and I’d love to hear her views on Winslow’s characters. I could easily have been reading Elizabeth Strout. Bravo on a surprisingly impressive first novel! Thank you to Goodreads and Flatiron books for the advance copy via the Goodreads giveaway. What a win for me!

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

The joy and sadness, laughter and tears, of small town coastal Maine, told over the decades and through the generations of families who live there.

This is the kind of book that I can easily devour but instead kept slowing down to savor each page. I could tell from the very start this would become a favorite. It’s epic in its scope but not in delivery and that is the key to its perfection. There are many branches to these family trees and we’re given just a glimpse into each one. The simplicity of it all just had me swooning, it’s exactly what I love most about any story. A little of Kent Haruf’s Colorado and a little of Leif Enger’s Minnesota...completely immersive writing with so much heart. I’ll be looking forward to more of W.S. Winslow’s Maine.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this ARC through Book Browse to give an honest review.
This is the story of family interactions in a small town in Maine. Some are Catholic. Some are not. Some were born on the "right" side of the tracks. Some were not. Some are faithful to their spouse. Some are not. Some are liked by others in the town. Others...
At first, I had a little trouble, despite family trees posted at the beginning of each chapter, following where I was reading on the tree. Eventually, I stopped worrying about it and just went along for the ride. It was a pleasant journey.
I did find a typo (p. 126). Also this cradle Catholic, long time church organist has NEVER heard the song "What a Friend We Have in Jesus" in a Catholic Church. Too popular/secular?

[Jude (HeyJudeReads) Fricano · Rating 4 out of 5]

This epic tale of several families and their intersections conceived of marriage and children full of love and loss, guilt and forgiveness. The story's timeline covers several generations with complex, heartbreaking stories that both bond and break the fragile people living them. Their struggle and redemption weighed heavily on my heart. This story could be any of our stories, maybe even is. What came before us and what lies after us is not within our control. Ours is to love, to forgive to survive all the heartbreak.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well written glimpse into the lives of a group of families from Wellbridge, Maine. Winslow takes the reader from the early 1900s to present day -- where in actuality much remains quite the same.

I received an ARC through Goodreads giveaway. This being Winslow's first novel -- I can see great potential from her. I know this novel consisted of several families but at some points I really wanted more from a particular storyline in the book that wasn't told. Rated 4 stars for this reason.

[Joyce · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book in a Goodreads Giveaway. I would describe The Northern Reach as less of a novel than a series of sketches of interrelated characters over the course of many years. While each is only briefly introduced, the characters are quite vivid. Many of their stories are sad, even tragic. Overall, it's an unsettling read in that the characters all seem to be in an endless search for personal fulfillment with most of them stymied by their circumstances.

[Will Singleton]

Hate to say I DNF’d this book! I enjoyed the writing and the historical timeline in the novel, but I seriously disliked ALL of the characters for various reasons. The fact that this was a debut book makes me excited though; I’m looking forward to reading other things from this author in the future.