North Woods is a novel by Daniel Mason published by Random House in 2023. As the title indicates, the central element of the narrative is not the character but the setting. The book focuses on the North Woods location over an extended period ranging from the middle of the 17th century to the present day. It is another in the body of the work of the author which falls within the genre classification of historical fiction. This history of a place is told through a variety of forms including letters, diary entries, historical records, and even poetry.
Though generally released to critical acclaim, this structuring of the narrative did result in some negative responses. Critiques ranged from questioning whether the book is more of a gimmick than a coherent narrative to the decision to mix historical documentation with suggestions of supernatural or occult origins of certain events. Despite these occasional negative reactions, however, the book for the most part is very highly praised, receiving superlative reviews in prestigious and prominent publications including the New York Times, the Washington Post, Publisher’s Weekly, and Kirkus Reviews.
In addition to making their bestseller lists, North Woods was also named one of the ten best books of the year by both the Times and Post. The breadth of critical reaction to Mason’s novel can be measured by the diverse number of publications that honored it as one of the best of the year: Time Magazine, National Public Radio, The Christian Science Monitor, and The Economist. It was also a finalist in 2023 for the highly regarded National Book Critics Circle Award.
The book has maintained ratings above the four-star level on both Goodreads and Amazon since its release.
