The Living Audiobook

" This is one of those novels where the landscape is as much a character as any named individual. This was a great opportunity to read about natives and newcomers in and around Puget Sound, the effects of lumber companies on the area, and why Seatttle's downtown looks a bit like it does. Beautiful writing and really strong storytelling. "

" I enjoy everything by Dillard. This is a long historical saga that follows a large cast of pioneer characters through the late 1800s in and around present-day Bellingham. "

" I thought that this book was a little hard to get into but, once I did, I really enjoyed it. Beautiful and sad. "

" Favorite book of all time. "

" absolutely mesmerizing, a quick read of someone who knows how to use the language to present thoughts. how one person was able to do this is too fascinating-- "

" Part of the appeal was that the story was about the settling of Bellingham Bay. "

" I always recommend this book as an evocation of the early settling of what is now the state of Washington. The descriptions of the wild landscape, the miserable winter weather, and the hardsrabble lives of the settlers are memorable. It has the most ethereal last scene of any book I've ever read. "

" This book should be called The Dying. Every character is killed off in some gruesome fashion, illustrating the harsh lives people lived when settling the American west. But I couldn't keep reading -- about halfway I ditched the wagon trains and settled in Idaho. "

" Damn. How does Annie Dillard draw such an intimate portrait of so many families and generations? A beautiful book, spare and unforgiving yet rich with such a clear-eyed vision of life. "

" More sympathetic and optimistic than Blood Meridian, but similarly unsentimental; similarily about hard people in a hard place. "

" This book is in my top ten. "

" Historical fiction about Seattle area "

" I read this book the year I moved to Seattle. Dillard's gift at describing time and place added to my appreciation of living in the Pacific Northwest. "

" Beautifully written story of a group of families that settled Washington state in the 1800's. Engaging narrative; complex characters. A souvenir from my trip to Seattle in '97. "

" intriguing, but a little odd, especially interesting for people from coastal Washington "

" Very dense. A different style of writing than what I usually read, but I loved the way the author was so knowledgeable about life 100 or more years ago. "

" A novel about the settling of the American Northwest...pioneer life, Native American conflicts, and other hardships come alive in this beautiful book. "

" Really interesting look at frontier life in Washington State in the late 1800s Characters can get a tad bit confusing at times, but the story is so rich with details about that time in life and the people that I highly recommend this read. "

" Not done yet, but I can't put it down. Amazing, amazing book. "

" A great novel set near Bellingham, Washington at the turn of the century. A sparse, un-romanticized tale of the settling of the Pacific Northwest. Annie Dillard is a master of language, a pleasure to read. "

" I find myself still remembering scenes from this book, which is a good sign. Someone once rightly said it might be more accurately entitled The Dead, but still, it has that relentless beauty that I so love in Annie Dillard's work. It's a little like a fiction equivalent of For the Time Being. "

" I couldn't put this one down. Brings to life how it must have felt to be a pioneer in the Pacific Northwest. "

" not her best work, but great if you like historical fiction. "

" Incredible story of the hearty settlers in the Pacific Northwest. It took a long time for me to finish, and like the settlers, I found myself bogged down in parts. But the writing is careful and beautiful. Worth perservering. "