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The Hungry Season
During a Vermont vacation, a family struggles to recover from a heartbreaking loss, in this novel by the award-winning author of Bodies of Water.
It’s been five years since novelist Samuel Mason and his family vacationed at the lakeside cottage in northeastern Vermont, close to where Sam grew up. Back then, he and his wife enjoyed noisy, chaotic, and pretty much perfect summer getaways with their twins, Franny and Finn. But this year at Lake Gormlaith, there are only three of them.
Ever since Franny’s death, the Masons have been flailing, one step away from falling apart. This trip is Sam’s last, best hope of rescuing his son from a destructive path and salvaging what’s left of his family. As he struggles with grief, writer’s block, and a looming deadline, his wife, Mena, tries to repair the marital bond she once thought was unbreakable. But even in this secluded place, the unexpected—in the form of an overzealous fan, a surprising friendship, and a second chance—can change everything.
It’s been five years since novelist Samuel Mason and his family vacationed at the lakeside cottage in northeastern Vermont, close to where Sam grew up. Back then, he and his wife enjoyed noisy, chaotic, and pretty much perfect summer getaways with their twins, Franny and Finn. But this year at Lake Gormlaith, there are only three of them.
Ever since Franny’s death, the Masons have been flailing, one step away from falling apart. This trip is Sam’s last, best hope of rescuing his son from a destructive path and salvaging what’s left of his family. As he struggles with grief, writer’s block, and a looming deadline, his wife, Mena, tries to repair the marital bond she once thought was unbreakable. But even in this secluded place, the unexpected—in the form of an overzealous fan, a surprising friendship, and a second chance—can change everything.
384 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2010
59 people are currently reading
1324 people want to read
About the author
T. Greenwood
25 books1,819 followersT. Greenwood is the author of sixteen novels. She has received grants from the Sherwood Anderson Foundation, the Christopher Isherwood Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Maryland State Arts Council. She has won four San Diego Book Awards. Five of her novels have been IndieNext picks. BODIES OF WATER was finalist for a Lambda Foundation award and KEEPING LUCY was a Target Book Club selection.
She teaches creative writing for San Diego Writer's Ink and The Writer's Center. She and her family split their time between San Diego and Vermont. She is also a photographer.
More information on T. Greenwood can be found at her websites: http://www.tgreenwood.com
She teaches creative writing for San Diego Writer's Ink and The Writer's Center. She and her family split their time between San Diego and Vermont. She is also a photographer.
More information on T. Greenwood can be found at her websites: http://www.tgreenwood.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 172 reviews
May 20, 2018
This is a story about a family of four. And then there were three.
The heartbreak and difficulty of a family that has been reduced in size due to loss is presented in a way that becomes poignantly relatable. Setting the table and forgetting that one is missing, whisking away the extra setting before others notice; each member of the family so overwhelmed by their own grief they feel inadequate to support each other in their own world of loss. There are also feelings of guilt and an anguished anger that they feel they cannot share lest it tear apart whatever fragile web may still be holding them together.
T. Greenwood has written a book that has emotional depth, yet beyond that is her ability to tell a great story. There are other characters that come into play in this book and while they add great dimension to the story and it would leave huge holes to excise them, I did sometimes find the transition between narrators to be just a bit uneven. By that, I mean that there are often mini-“cliffhangers” between narrators that I felt disrupted my immersion somewhat. This was a minor issue, though, and more likely my own problem than one others might encounter. Having said that, it is the only reason I awarded 4-Stars rather than 5.
I do love T. Greenwood’s writing style and I also love and appreciate that she picks difficult topics – ones we hear about as “out there” in the world – and she brings them vividly to life. Her stories are brilliant and are told in a way that engages our own emotions and simultaneously make us think, reflect, ponder.
This is my 4th outing with this author’s work and I am definitely looking forward to reading more as soon as I can get to them!
The heartbreak and difficulty of a family that has been reduced in size due to loss is presented in a way that becomes poignantly relatable. Setting the table and forgetting that one is missing, whisking away the extra setting before others notice; each member of the family so overwhelmed by their own grief they feel inadequate to support each other in their own world of loss. There are also feelings of guilt and an anguished anger that they feel they cannot share lest it tear apart whatever fragile web may still be holding them together.
T. Greenwood has written a book that has emotional depth, yet beyond that is her ability to tell a great story. There are other characters that come into play in this book and while they add great dimension to the story and it would leave huge holes to excise them, I did sometimes find the transition between narrators to be just a bit uneven. By that, I mean that there are often mini-“cliffhangers” between narrators that I felt disrupted my immersion somewhat. This was a minor issue, though, and more likely my own problem than one others might encounter. Having said that, it is the only reason I awarded 4-Stars rather than 5.
I do love T. Greenwood’s writing style and I also love and appreciate that she picks difficult topics – ones we hear about as “out there” in the world – and she brings them vividly to life. Her stories are brilliant and are told in a way that engages our own emotions and simultaneously make us think, reflect, ponder.
This is my 4th outing with this author’s work and I am definitely looking forward to reading more as soon as I can get to them!
September 22, 2018
The Hungry Season is an almost 400-page novel about a picture perfect family coming to terms with grief. Presented in three parts – Before, After, Now – the story unravels the sorrow, anguish and guilt that create distance between people who share the loss of a loved one.
Sam and Mena Mason are a couple who live in San Diego with their pair of fraternal twins, Finn and Franny. Sam is a celebrated, award-winning writer; Mena is an accomplished actress of Greek descent. The twins are loved dearly, a long awaited gift after years of infertility. Then one of the twins dies at age 16. Grief unmoors the family members and turns them against each other. Summer comes and in a desperate attempt to heal, the family returns to Gormlaith, North-East Vermont, that holds memories of better days. Into the family’s desert experience comes a delusional and schizophrenic female college literature student who is obsessed with Sam and stalks him all the way to Gormlaith. In essence, this is the heart-wrenching story of a family finding their way back home to each other. It asks a question that people who have suffered sudden bereavement struggle with: When you hit the bottomless pit of emotional famine, how do you find nourishment again?
I found this a difficult novel to read. Despite the pain I typically feel with content of this nature, I was strangely less engaged than I thought I would be. It is hard to mourn the lost child since everything we know is via third-person report. The grief also got too long. The use of foul language (not unexpected with adolescents under duress) did not go down well with me. Otherwise, Greenword’s prose is easy and accessible. It flows and there is sufficient tension to make me curious about how this hungry season will end for the Masons. When the last page is turned, there is a sincere author note that discusses Greenwood’s motivation for writing this novel, and I applaud her for it.
The novel examines hunger as it is experienced in different ways by the Masons and the dysfunctional individuals they come to meet. The book Sam is struggling to write deals with hunger, too; hence there is a story within a story that has some interesting facts and observations about the state of hunger. The Hungry Season is perhaps not a book for all seasons but the experience of loss and grief it communicates is relatable.
Sam and Mena Mason are a couple who live in San Diego with their pair of fraternal twins, Finn and Franny. Sam is a celebrated, award-winning writer; Mena is an accomplished actress of Greek descent. The twins are loved dearly, a long awaited gift after years of infertility. Then one of the twins dies at age 16. Grief unmoors the family members and turns them against each other. Summer comes and in a desperate attempt to heal, the family returns to Gormlaith, North-East Vermont, that holds memories of better days. Into the family’s desert experience comes a delusional and schizophrenic female college literature student who is obsessed with Sam and stalks him all the way to Gormlaith. In essence, this is the heart-wrenching story of a family finding their way back home to each other. It asks a question that people who have suffered sudden bereavement struggle with: When you hit the bottomless pit of emotional famine, how do you find nourishment again?
I found this a difficult novel to read. Despite the pain I typically feel with content of this nature, I was strangely less engaged than I thought I would be. It is hard to mourn the lost child since everything we know is via third-person report. The grief also got too long. The use of foul language (not unexpected with adolescents under duress) did not go down well with me. Otherwise, Greenword’s prose is easy and accessible. It flows and there is sufficient tension to make me curious about how this hungry season will end for the Masons. When the last page is turned, there is a sincere author note that discusses Greenwood’s motivation for writing this novel, and I applaud her for it.
The novel examines hunger as it is experienced in different ways by the Masons and the dysfunctional individuals they come to meet. The book Sam is struggling to write deals with hunger, too; hence there is a story within a story that has some interesting facts and observations about the state of hunger. The Hungry Season is perhaps not a book for all seasons but the experience of loss and grief it communicates is relatable.
January 2, 2011
I discovered T. Greenwood quite by accident. She was a lucky find though. For some reason I picked up Two Rivers and decided I just had to read it. And I was glad I did. It was a significant book with amazing writing.
I knew Greenwood was coming out with a new book, but I was a slacker and did not know when it was to be released. So I was browsing at Barnes & Noble (a thing I love to do and am well-known for...when friends ask me what I'm doing most of the time the answer is...hanging out at B&N...sad to be so predictable...) and, again, happened upon Greenwood's latest book by accident. It was a sweet surprise. I barely even read, registered, thought about what the book was about because I knew I just had to read it.
Greenwood writes beautifully. Her descriptions are vivid, her characters are realistically portrayed and each have identifiable flaws, and she actually uses symbolism and parallelism! All these things are must-haves for a good book. Symbolism is becoming a lost art in literature, but Greenwood proves that it can make a comeback and there is a place for it.
Enough gushing about this awesome talent (of which I am jealous). The plot of the story, which I really read after I purchased the book (if you know me you know this is really strange for me to do) really hit home for me. It's about a family who take a summer trip to Lake Gormlaith in Vermont in the aftershock of losing their daughter and sister (respectively). The whole time we don't really know what happened to Franny. We just know she is no longer alive and the family is trying to pick up the pieces and stay together.
One of the interesting things about this story is the idea of HUNGER. Greenwood says, in the back of the book, that she became fascinated with it because it is the basest of human needs and something we take for granted. Within the book, the writer father named Sam discovers how hunger plays in religions and cultures with fasting and such. And there were some fanatics who starved themselves on purpose to gain euphoria and something like nirvana.
So there is the idea of literal hunger, right? But then here's where it gets interesting. Greenwood explores the idea of figurative hunger. Each of the characters hunger for something different. Mena, the mother, hungers for affection from her husband. Sam, the father, hungers for the return of his creative juices and the virility (through most of the book he battles impotence)of his youth. Finn, Franny's twin brother, hungers for peaceful sleep, normalcy with his parents, and trust. Throughout the story, each of them try to fulfill their hunger but they go about it the wrong way.
The family is grieving the loss of Franny and, instead of exploring their grief as just plain grief, Greenwood uses HUNGER to explain what they are feeling. When I realized this I came to understand feelings I myself have felt over the last two years.
There is another character, Dale, who also hungers. She is a psychotic fan of Sam's. The reader gets to see her gradual dive into the deep end as she goes from mere fan to stalker to lunatic. She hungers for completion through Sam. I tend to think she sees him as a father figure because her father was never there for her. It's hard to say, though, what is really driving Dale. She, too, goes about fulfilling her hunger in the wrong ways.
I will not spoil the book by telling you how it resolves. Greenwood is a good enough writer that she doesn't really have to feed you the answers but, somehow, you just know. While I don't know which book of the two I've read of hers I like better, I definitely loved this book. It was hard to read at times. I found myself relating to Finn on a figurative level (he turns to drugs for help which is something I will never do and did not do during my own grieving at the loss of my sister). In fact, I found myself relating to all the characters in some way.
I knew Greenwood was coming out with a new book, but I was a slacker and did not know when it was to be released. So I was browsing at Barnes & Noble (a thing I love to do and am well-known for...when friends ask me what I'm doing most of the time the answer is...hanging out at B&N...sad to be so predictable...) and, again, happened upon Greenwood's latest book by accident. It was a sweet surprise. I barely even read, registered, thought about what the book was about because I knew I just had to read it.
Greenwood writes beautifully. Her descriptions are vivid, her characters are realistically portrayed and each have identifiable flaws, and she actually uses symbolism and parallelism! All these things are must-haves for a good book. Symbolism is becoming a lost art in literature, but Greenwood proves that it can make a comeback and there is a place for it.
Enough gushing about this awesome talent (of which I am jealous). The plot of the story, which I really read after I purchased the book (if you know me you know this is really strange for me to do) really hit home for me. It's about a family who take a summer trip to Lake Gormlaith in Vermont in the aftershock of losing their daughter and sister (respectively). The whole time we don't really know what happened to Franny. We just know she is no longer alive and the family is trying to pick up the pieces and stay together.
One of the interesting things about this story is the idea of HUNGER. Greenwood says, in the back of the book, that she became fascinated with it because it is the basest of human needs and something we take for granted. Within the book, the writer father named Sam discovers how hunger plays in religions and cultures with fasting and such. And there were some fanatics who starved themselves on purpose to gain euphoria and something like nirvana.
So there is the idea of literal hunger, right? But then here's where it gets interesting. Greenwood explores the idea of figurative hunger. Each of the characters hunger for something different. Mena, the mother, hungers for affection from her husband. Sam, the father, hungers for the return of his creative juices and the virility (through most of the book he battles impotence)of his youth. Finn, Franny's twin brother, hungers for peaceful sleep, normalcy with his parents, and trust. Throughout the story, each of them try to fulfill their hunger but they go about it the wrong way.
The family is grieving the loss of Franny and, instead of exploring their grief as just plain grief, Greenwood uses HUNGER to explain what they are feeling. When I realized this I came to understand feelings I myself have felt over the last two years.
There is another character, Dale, who also hungers. She is a psychotic fan of Sam's. The reader gets to see her gradual dive into the deep end as she goes from mere fan to stalker to lunatic. She hungers for completion through Sam. I tend to think she sees him as a father figure because her father was never there for her. It's hard to say, though, what is really driving Dale. She, too, goes about fulfilling her hunger in the wrong ways.
I will not spoil the book by telling you how it resolves. Greenwood is a good enough writer that she doesn't really have to feed you the answers but, somehow, you just know. While I don't know which book of the two I've read of hers I like better, I definitely loved this book. It was hard to read at times. I found myself relating to Finn on a figurative level (he turns to drugs for help which is something I will never do and did not do during my own grieving at the loss of my sister). In fact, I found myself relating to all the characters in some way.
April 3, 2011
T. Greenwood can do no wrong in my view. Each book of hers is beautifully written, deeply moving, and features a cast of deliciously flawed characters who you root for even when you don’t always agree with their actions. The Hungry Season is no exception. And, like Greenwood's others, it’s the kind of book you want to read in one sitting.
This is a story about a family grappling with the loss of their teenage daughter. They escape San Diego (as a San Diegan I loved all the local references) and return to their former summer retreat to try and recapture the magic of their family, even though they’re minus one very important piece. The family’s suffering is very real, especially that of the brother. What I loved about Finn’s storyline was its authenticity and his relationship with his parents. It is clear the activities he engages in and the way he treats his family would not be tolerated under “normal” circumstances. It’s the idea of a big event causing subtle differences in relationships which in turn cause evermore bigger problems. Small shifts can still create a lot of damage.
The conclusion of the novel is hopeful, while still being realistic. At one point I was worried it was going in a certain direction but my worries were unfounded, thankfully. My only regret was that I read the author’s note first. My own fault – it was at the back of the book! I would’ve liked the cause of Franny’s death to remain a mystery for longer. It’s not a huge spoiler, but would’ve been a good morsel to chase along the way. So don’t read it if you like a little “mystery” to your fiction! Overall this is another stellar novel from this author. I also loved the inclusion of Effie from “Breathing Water,” the first book of hers I read. A very nice surprise.
This is a story about a family grappling with the loss of their teenage daughter. They escape San Diego (as a San Diegan I loved all the local references) and return to their former summer retreat to try and recapture the magic of their family, even though they’re minus one very important piece. The family’s suffering is very real, especially that of the brother. What I loved about Finn’s storyline was its authenticity and his relationship with his parents. It is clear the activities he engages in and the way he treats his family would not be tolerated under “normal” circumstances. It’s the idea of a big event causing subtle differences in relationships which in turn cause evermore bigger problems. Small shifts can still create a lot of damage.
The conclusion of the novel is hopeful, while still being realistic. At one point I was worried it was going in a certain direction but my worries were unfounded, thankfully. My only regret was that I read the author’s note first. My own fault – it was at the back of the book! I would’ve liked the cause of Franny’s death to remain a mystery for longer. It’s not a huge spoiler, but would’ve been a good morsel to chase along the way. So don’t read it if you like a little “mystery” to your fiction! Overall this is another stellar novel from this author. I also loved the inclusion of Effie from “Breathing Water,” the first book of hers I read. A very nice surprise.
March 18, 2010
Incredible book, beautifully written. Story of a family who has suffered the loss of their daughter, Franny.
This book shows really that none of the surviving members have dealt with Franny's death. They all appear to be spinning out of control. Each person is lost in their own guilt,sadness & emptiness.
The family retreats to a vacation site that they loved & visited for years as a happy functioning family. Each person "hungers" for something but they are unaware of what they need to sustain their life.
A thought provoking, outstanding book. I feel T. Greenwood is an incredible writer. This is the second book I have read written by her. I will be purchasing her previous books. I feel more people need to discover her books. I really can't praise her writing enough. READ HER BOOKS!
This book shows really that none of the surviving members have dealt with Franny's death. They all appear to be spinning out of control. Each person is lost in their own guilt,sadness & emptiness.
The family retreats to a vacation site that they loved & visited for years as a happy functioning family. Each person "hungers" for something but they are unaware of what they need to sustain their life.
A thought provoking, outstanding book. I feel T. Greenwood is an incredible writer. This is the second book I have read written by her. I will be purchasing her previous books. I feel more people need to discover her books. I really can't praise her writing enough. READ HER BOOKS!
June 11, 2014
This is my fifth book by T. Greenwood and starting my sixth, (Two Rivers) today. As you can see, am not reading them in specific order. Once you have read one book by this talented author, you cannot stop until you read everything she has written-while anxiously awaiting her next masterpiece. I actually started and finished it in same day.
It is so hard to say which book is my favorite, as each and every one is a unique story. The author has a way of taking flawed characters and developing them into beautiful stories which will warm your heart and soul, and leave you pondering for hours after the book ends. T. Greenwood is in a class by herself and is hard to compare her to other writers; she gets to the heart of social issues, and not afraid to tackle them--put them out there in order for her characters to begin healing and starting over.
“The Hungry Season” is no exception, as the readers guide and discussion questions are worth hours of book club and on line further discussions. Wow, what I would give to have her as a writing teacher – can you imagine?
The Mason family is suffering after the loss of their daughter and heads from San Diego to Vermont (one of my favorite places), to their favorite summer lake house which they now buy, in order to escape the city and try and bring their life back to some sense of normal.
Each one of them has issues to overcome: Sam, the father is suffering from writer’s block with a deadline hanging over him and sexual impotence. His wife, Mena is trying to fix her family desperately, and her marriage to get back what they have lost. Lastly, Finn (the twin left behind) is acting out in all sorts of ways in order to feel something.
Of course at the center of the novel is Franny. The book begins and ends with her presence and is about those she left behind. At the time of the novel she has died; however, the cause of death is not disclosed until towards the end, as this family tries desperately to forgive themselves, to begin nourishing one another.
Love the way the author uses “hungry” throughout the novel as it relates eating disorders, sexual, strong needs, desire, or force. There are also secondary characters which experience hunger in different ways.
As a note from the author, she so eloquently describes, “For some people deprived of necessary sustenance, hunger is suffering. Conversely, for some it can be a source of power and this love affair with hunger is irresistible to some, despite its often lethal consequences.”
What a beautiful and compelling story, articulated with clarity and sensitivity.
http://judithdcollins.booklikes.com/p...
It is so hard to say which book is my favorite, as each and every one is a unique story. The author has a way of taking flawed characters and developing them into beautiful stories which will warm your heart and soul, and leave you pondering for hours after the book ends. T. Greenwood is in a class by herself and is hard to compare her to other writers; she gets to the heart of social issues, and not afraid to tackle them--put them out there in order for her characters to begin healing and starting over.
“The Hungry Season” is no exception, as the readers guide and discussion questions are worth hours of book club and on line further discussions. Wow, what I would give to have her as a writing teacher – can you imagine?
The Mason family is suffering after the loss of their daughter and heads from San Diego to Vermont (one of my favorite places), to their favorite summer lake house which they now buy, in order to escape the city and try and bring their life back to some sense of normal.
Each one of them has issues to overcome: Sam, the father is suffering from writer’s block with a deadline hanging over him and sexual impotence. His wife, Mena is trying to fix her family desperately, and her marriage to get back what they have lost. Lastly, Finn (the twin left behind) is acting out in all sorts of ways in order to feel something.
Of course at the center of the novel is Franny. The book begins and ends with her presence and is about those she left behind. At the time of the novel she has died; however, the cause of death is not disclosed until towards the end, as this family tries desperately to forgive themselves, to begin nourishing one another.
Love the way the author uses “hungry” throughout the novel as it relates eating disorders, sexual, strong needs, desire, or force. There are also secondary characters which experience hunger in different ways.
As a note from the author, she so eloquently describes, “For some people deprived of necessary sustenance, hunger is suffering. Conversely, for some it can be a source of power and this love affair with hunger is irresistible to some, despite its often lethal consequences.”
What a beautiful and compelling story, articulated with clarity and sensitivity.
http://judithdcollins.booklikes.com/p...
May 6, 2011
This would probably be rated three and a half if possible. It's a very enjoyable read, however it appears the end of the story was rushed in order to bring a conclusion whether the results were believable or not. I like this author's writing style and will most definitely read her other works.
Sasm. Mena, Franny, and Finn are a very happy family until Franny dies. The remaining family are torn up, however none of them appear to know how to grasp the grieving part of life. This is the story of how each grapples with his/her grief.
Sasm. Mena, Franny, and Finn are a very happy family until Franny dies. The remaining family are torn up, however none of them appear to know how to grasp the grieving part of life. This is the story of how each grapples with his/her grief.
July 16, 2011
I wasn't expecting much from this book. I only picked it up when I had read all the other books I had with me and was bored out of my mind. I was surprised though with her strength of voice. Her writing is captivating and lovely. In the sections where she included bits of Sam's work I found myself wishing that he was a real novelist that I could read. At first I really wasn't interested in hearing about Dale so often but then as I read on I began feeling for her. Looking forward to reading more of this author.
June 3, 2010
The story of a family trying to overcome loss. Sam Mason is a famous author experiencing writer's block, sexual disfunction and problems with his teenage son all after the loss of his daughter. Finn, the teenage son, needs someone to understand him, care about him and help him deal with the loss of his sister. Mena, the mother takes care of everyone to mask her sorrow. Well written, interweaving plot.
February 16, 2010
What I love about T. Greenwood is her ability to take flawed characters and make her reader care about them. I stayed up way too late to finish this book, and I'm glad I did. What an amazing story of a family dealing with a horrible tragedy, each in their own way, and coming together at the end. As is the case with all of T. Greenwood's books, a satisfying read with gorgeous language.
December 28, 2013
This is the second book I have read by T. Greenwood (two rivers)she has a way of getting to the heart of a difficult topic and pulls the reader out the other side.
I will be reading more of her work.
I will be reading more of her work.
August 12, 2019
T greenwood always writes a book you can really enjoy. This one is about a family vacationing at a cottage in Vermont and the tragedy that splits them apart.
June 9, 2010
I couldn't put this one down near the end. The author does a fantastic job of showing the emotional turmoil that parents go through after they have lost a child, what it does to the marriage and other immediate family members. She also does a great job of depicting the thoughts of a person obsessed.
Sam and Mena have a wonderful life with twins, a boy and a girl. They have a solid, loving relationship and they adore their children. Many summers are spent in Vermont at Lake Gormlaith until life gets hectic as the kids reach adolescence. The reader is told that the daughter dies suddenly at home, however the cause is not revealed outright. There are clues throughout the book so about 1/2 to 3/4 of the way through you know how she died.
Sam, the father in the story, is having a hard time getting his next novel started, his relationship with his wife since their daughter died is rocky and his son, Finny, is becoming rebelious so he decides to buy the cottage at Lake Gormlaith and take his wife and Finny there for the summer. However, location change doesn't mean the disappearance of problems.
The books also includes a 21 yr old female named Dale who lives several states away from the family and is obsessed with Sam to the point of stalking him. The only reason I can think of that this part of the storyline was added is to add more excitement to the book. The author does a great job creating this emotionally unstable character, increasing her level of instability as the story progresses.
June 9, 2010
I couldn't put this one down near the end. The author does a fantastic job of showing the emotional turmoil that parents go through after they have lost a child, what it does to the marriage and other immediate family members. She also does a great job of depicting the thoughts of a person obsessed.
Sam and Mena have a wonderful life with twins, a boy and a girl. They have a solid, loving relationship and they adore their children. Many summers are spent in Vermont at Lake Gormlaith until life gets hectic as the kids reach adolescence. The reader is told that the daughter dies suddenly at home, however the cause is not revealed outright. There are clues throughout the book so about 1/2 to 3/4 of the way through you know how she died.
Sam, the father in the story, is having a hard time getting his next novel started, his relationship with his wife since their daughter died is rocky and his son, Finny, is becoming rebelious so he decides to buy the cottage at Lake Gormlaith and take his wife and Finny there for the summer. However, location change doesn't mean the disappearance of problems.
The books also includes a 21 yr old female named Dale who lives several states away from the family and is obsessed with Sam to the point of stalking him. The only reason I can think of that this part of the storyline was added is to add more excitement to the book. The author does a great job creating this emotionally unstable character, increasing her level of instability as the story progresses.
Sam and Mena have a wonderful life with twins, a boy and a girl. They have a solid, loving relationship and they adore their children. Many summers are spent in Vermont at Lake Gormlaith until life gets hectic as the kids reach adolescence. The reader is told that the daughter dies suddenly at home, however the cause is not revealed outright. There are clues throughout the book so about 1/2 to 3/4 of the way through you know how she died.
Sam, the father in the story, is having a hard time getting his next novel started, his relationship with his wife since their daughter died is rocky and his son, Finny, is becoming rebelious so he decides to buy the cottage at Lake Gormlaith and take his wife and Finny there for the summer. However, location change doesn't mean the disappearance of problems.
The books also includes a 21 yr old female named Dale who lives several states away from the family and is obsessed with Sam to the point of stalking him. The only reason I can think of that this part of the storyline was added is to add more excitement to the book. The author does a great job creating this emotionally unstable character, increasing her level of instability as the story progresses.
February 2, 2011
So much to love about this book. The author has a brilliant way of using language that begs you to turn each page. The individual characters are continuously morphing and surprising the reader with each chapter, (each told in an individual voice). What is left untold, but slowly, ever so slowly, revealed is worth every minute. Each character is brilliantly "broken" and although their individual conflicts are at cross-purposes to one another, you can't help but take each side as the story unfolds, nodding you head and saying, "Yes, I can see how that would happen. I can see how you would feel that way..." Please, please, please...go read this book. I can't wait to get back to the library and look for the author's earlier book, "Two Rivers".
February 23, 2010
First of all, I am a T. Greenwood fan. Her voice flow suits me well and I enjoy her style of writing.
This book exhausted me for so many different reasons and struck me to the core. I don't imagine that everyone who reads this will react this same way because we all have different frames of reference in life. This book worked for me maybe due in part to the fact that it was not always comfortable, but I held on because I knew it was real. At times this just hit too close. Development of the main characters was very well done and the story held firm together as each character was individually portrayed in their own chapter.
Nice work.
This book exhausted me for so many different reasons and struck me to the core. I don't imagine that everyone who reads this will react this same way because we all have different frames of reference in life. This book worked for me maybe due in part to the fact that it was not always comfortable, but I held on because I knew it was real. At times this just hit too close. Development of the main characters was very well done and the story held firm together as each character was individually portrayed in their own chapter.
Nice work.
May 17, 2011
I purchased this book having no idea what the book was really about. I bought it simply because it was written by T.Greenwood and I was not disappointed! This is the fifth book I have read by T.Greenwood and it's my favorite so far!
The Hungry Season is about a family falling apart after the death of a child. T.Greenwood takes us into the lives of those left behind. It deals with very real issues including depression, drugs, obsession, guilt and anorexia. It's a story about loss, hope, forgiveness and love. It had me on the edge of my seat at times and like all good books left me wanting more!!
The Hungry Season is about a family falling apart after the death of a child. T.Greenwood takes us into the lives of those left behind. It deals with very real issues including depression, drugs, obsession, guilt and anorexia. It's a story about loss, hope, forgiveness and love. It had me on the edge of my seat at times and like all good books left me wanting more!!
June 8, 2010
I loved this book and could hardly put it down. The author really speaks to me and I enjoy her writing style.I can't wait to read another of her books. Although this is a novel, the book kept changing with problems and the past surfacing to keep the book interesting til the very end. What a perfect title for this book. I could really feel the emotions of each family member as they dealt seperately with their grief and yet how they needed each other.
A wonderful book.
A wonderful book.
April 22, 2011
I enjoyed this book very much and read it in 2.5 sittings. I think it would be a good pick at some point for the monthly choice. It's about a family who have lost a child and you don't find out until over half way into the book how she died. It explores the effect loss and grief have on a family and how each family member's grief impacts the other. It is not a 'downer' though and there is a surprise twist in the story. Very readable and easy to identify with the characters
February 9, 2010
I have to say that T. Greenwood has to be one of my all time favorites! Every time I open one of her books I am "immersed" from the first sentence! I am getting off this computer now so I can continue to read!
Thank you, Ms. Greenwood for a beautiful, heart-breaking, heart-warming story. I loved it!
Thank you, Ms. Greenwood for a beautiful, heart-breaking, heart-warming story. I loved it!
April 2, 2010
There are only a handful of authors that can grab me by the arm with the first sentence and guide me through an entire book on voice and flow alone. A few sentences. A simple cadence. It's over, I'm hooked.
The characters haunt me long after the book is finished, their stories in my mind like they're people I used to know. Three-dimensional, flawed, real.
The characters haunt me long after the book is finished, their stories in my mind like they're people I used to know. Three-dimensional, flawed, real.
March 15, 2010
Absolutely amazing book about a family dealing with their teenage daughter's sudden death....they take a family trip back to a Vermont lake they haven't been to in 5 years, with their troubled son in tow, who is their late daughter's twin....supposed to be cathartic, however there is more pain and much more to confront before they find peace.
March 24, 2010
This is the best yet by Ms. Greenwood!! I had the opportunity to read this over a weekend and could not put it down - when I had to be away from the book, I could not wait to get back. Her character development was outstanding, her use of short chapters added to the out-of-control feeling the characters were going through. Well done all around!
April 1, 2010
This book is a much needed book in the mass of eating disorder books out there. It's not about getting through the illness, it's not about the horrors of an eating disorder, it's about what happens to the family after someone dies from an eating disorder. Not the immediate grief, but the longstanding grief. The day-to-day question of "how do we function as a family?"
June 9, 2010
Devastated by the loss of his young daughter, famous novelist Sam Mason and his family flee from California to a secluded cabin on the east coast. While the family grapples with their plunge into despair, a determined fan of Sam's begins making a trek east as well. This is a chilling, suspenseful, gripping read. T. Greenwood is an amazing writer and this book is excellent.
August 13, 2010
This is my first T. Greenwood novel and I'm looking forward to reading more. She is a good descriptive writer capturing the pain this family has felt with the loss of a sister/daughter and how that has impacted all of their lives. She does a good job moving between past and present and holding interest. The story deals with family guilt and anger.
July 9, 2011
Really nicely written...wonderful wording, deliciously flawed and interesting characters and a sense of real emotion throughout the book. It was a little slow in a few places but that's only because the characters themselves were so stalled in their lives. I would recommend this book to others and I'll def seek out other books by this author!
August 16, 2012
I really enjoyed my second T. Greenwood book and look forward to reading more of hers as I love her writing style. I thought her character development in this novel was extraordinary and I wanted to crawl into the book and meet them all, especially Mena. I felt as though as I was on the lake in Vermont as a spectator to all that happened to this lovely family. A great summer read!
May 21, 2017
This book was a bit of a disappointment considering how much I enjoyed other books by this author. The book seemed to drag on and on... I felt that that the characters were poorly developed with little to like about them. The various side stories didn't even really tie into or make sense with the main story. It was poorly written, planned, edited, ect... I really expect more from this author.
May 17, 2010
This is the story of a family who has lost their 15 year old twin daughter. They return to a cabin in Vermont searching for healing and a simpler time. Extremely well written with loads of symbolism and well developed characters.
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