The audiobook is definitely a recommendation!

It offers a unique and convenient way to enjoy literature. Instead of having to sit down and read a physical book, you can listen to it while doing other activities such as driving, exercising, or doing household chores.

The narrators of audiobooks often bring the story to life with their生动的 performances, adding an extra layer of depth and emotion to the text.

Audiobooks are also a great option for those who have difficulty reading due to视力问题 or learning disabilities.

With the wide variety of audiobooks available, there is something for everyone to enjoy. Whether you prefer fiction, non-fiction, or self-help books, you can find an audiobook that suits your interests.

So, if you're looking for a new way to experience literature, give audiobooks a try! You might just be surprised at how much you enjoy them.

I have to admit, I approached this one with a certain degree of resentment. Currently, I am working my way through all of the Pulitzer Prize winners. For some reason, they awarded it to the third book in this trilogy. And as everyone says, it is best to read these in order.

Thankfully, it is a relatively short book. Surprisingly, I actually found it quite interesting and engaging. The descriptions were truly lovely and reminded me a great deal of that first Laura Ingalls Wilder book that I read and adored as a child.

I ended up becoming quite attached to the characters, especially Sayward. In fact, I am actually looking forward to learning more about her and her family in the next books.

However, it had the expected racism, particularly towards Native Americans. This was especially difficult for me to get past, especially since I am also reading a history of racism in the USA that covers this specific time period. It was a bit of a jarring contrast and made me think more deeply about the complex issues of the past.

This is yet another classic American pioneer saga that was initially published in 1940. It chronicles the journey of a family who departs from Pennsylvania in the late 1700s due to the country experiencing a "woods famine" (a year of poor hunting). They embark on a westward migration, cross the Ohio River, and ultimately settle in the deep forests of that territory.

One of the aspects I particularly cherish about this novel is its language. There are numerous words that I was unfamiliar with, and they seemingly originate from the vernacular. Some I was able to decipher from the context, while others continue to baffle me. Here are a few examples:

"The bound boy's reddish hair was tied behind with a ribbon snipped off a bolt of blue strouding" - a "bound boy" is indentured; "strouding" must be a type of cloth (112).

"Down the a run a young doe lifted its head and stared at her with eyes it was a shame to think a corbie would pick out some day" - what's a "corbie"? (116).

"But if Wyitt wasn't 'afeard,' what was he gadding the cows so hard for? They went skyting and belling up hill and down" - "skyting" is the one I don't know here (139).

"'I need some'un to put a clapboard roof on my cabin.... They said you had a frow and was handy with tools'" - "frow"? (141).

The characters in this book endure a difficult life, yet they are blessed with moments of absolute contentment and joy. Here is one such instance: "...when she raised her eyes she'd know this place would never fail her. It was dim with a kind of pine woods night and yet out there beyond the dark, scaly butts and branches the blinding sunlight came down, turning a ferny bank to golden, tender green and sparkling on the river with silver. Out there lay a new world. It was like something to come in her own life some day, something bright and shining on ahead." (118).

Gender roles are portrayed in a rather traditional manner, which is fitting considering the time period. However, many of the female characters (especially Sayward) possess a certain spirit and fight, which is always pleasant to observe.

Overall, I found this to be an enjoyable read. It is the first installment in a trilogy, so there is more excitement in store!

The first book of the "Awakening Land" trilogy is truly captivating.

The story centers around the Wheeler family, who embark on a journey from Pennsylvania to the northwest territory, which was then almost entirely forested land.

As the family builds their cabin, hunts for food, and makes do with the most meager provisions and amenities, the reader is immediately drawn into their emotional trials and physical demands.

The author has crafted this story with such skill that it is the most engrossing of its kind that I have ever read.

By the end of the book, I was completely hooked and HAD to continue with the rest of the trilogy.

It is a testament to the author's talent that they were able to create such a vivid and engaging world that readers cannot help but be swept away.

The "Awakening Land" trilogy is a must-read for anyone who enjoys historical fiction or stories of survival and perseverance.

I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a great read that will keep them on the edge of their seat from beginning to end.

This is my all-time favorite book.

The story vividly depicts a family's arduous journey to the Northwest Territory (Ohio) in the late eighteenth century. Richter presents a realistic portrayal, not romanticizing the family or the numerous tribulations they encounter.

The mother succumbs to tuberculosis, and the father, a hunter, frequently abandons the family for extended periods. Consequently, the responsibility of caring for the family falls squarely on the shoulders of the oldest, a girl named Saywood.

This book, along with the two that follow, chronicles her life in a constantly changing world. The Ohio wilderness that Saywood discovers as a teenage girl gradually transforms into a bustling town by the time she passes away in the final book.

It is "The Trees" that truly captures the essence of the burgeoning America and the indomitable people who settled and tamed it.

Every time I read this book, I am amazed to find something new within its pages. I wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone with an interest in frontier America.

I read this award-winning work of fiction that delves into the pioneering of the Ohio river region several years ago.

I vividly remember both the writing style and the story-telling as being truly excellent. However, there is a cautionary note to be made. This book is highly anachronistic. It gives the distinct impression that it was penned in 1900, describing events that took place a hundred years prior to that. In reality, it was actually written in 1950.

The rating of this book can range from 3.0 to 4.5 stars, depending entirely on one's personal preference for older books that explore even older topics. Some readers might be drawn to the charm and historical perspective it offers, while others might find the anachronistic nature a bit off-putting. Nevertheless, it remains a notable work that provides a unique glimpse into a bygone era.

Acclaimed historian David McCullough wrote the foreword to this edition of The Trees, which significantly raised my expectations for the book.

Perhaps this was my misstep, as the actual experience of reading this classic novel of American history was rather lackluster.

Worth Luckett, a woodsman, sustains his family through his hunting skills and trades pelts for other essential commodities. When the game vanishes from the area around their Pennsylvania home, Worth persuades his wife Jary to uproot the family and move west, where animals are still abundant.

The family undertakes the arduous journey to the Ohio River Valley, stakes a claim deep in the woods, and endeavors to commence a new life.

Throughout the novel, the family endures countless hardships, encompassing disease, environmental perils, and human-made ones. Several characters meet their demise in this concise book, leaving Sayward, the eldest daughter, as the central character.

She holds the family together as her parents die and/or disappear. At the novel's conclusion, Sayward has married and is initiating a family of her own. Meanwhile, the land surrounding her has been transformed by settlement, suggesting that the era of the hunter has ended, and the era of those who cultivate the land has arrived.

McCullough lauds the language in this book and the wealth of historical detail and accuracy. However, I was not captivated by Richter's prose, nor do I have any particular affinity for the history. I accept McCullough's assertion that Richter's research was sound and that the descriptions of this pioneer time period are accurate. For me, the novel was a laborious read, with one tragedy接踵而至. It felt like Little House on the Prairie with all the joyous elements excised.

I struggled to connect with the characters, whose motivations, hopes, and dreams often seemed opaque. Richter provides scant insight into the internal lives of these characters. When someone vanishes in the woods, succumbs to consumption, is menaced by another settler, or parleys with the natives, what does it all signify? The most relatable character for me was Jary, but she isn't present for long.

I should also note that I completed this book while hospitalized, under the influence of painkillers after surgery. So, it's conceivable that my perception of this novel was distorted by the drugs. Nevertheless, I didn't particularly relish it. Thankfully, it was mercifully short. Yes, it's 300 pages long, but the pages are small, and the font is enormous, enabling me to finish it rapidly.

I'm hopeful that the second book in the series will be an improvement.

This is such a beautifully written book!

At first, it took me a little while to get accustomed to the "woodsy" language, but it actually added to the unique ambiance of the story.

The vivid description of the forest was so intense that it almost gave me a sense of claustrophobia.

The hardships and difficulties of the characters' lives made me truly realize that I don't possess the pioneer spirit.

I'm really glad that there are two more books in this series.

When I finished reading this one, I felt a tinge of sadness because I didn't want the story to end.

I'm looking forward to delving into the next installments and continuing to explore the adventures and experiences of the characters in this captivating world.

The first instalment of Conrad Richter's The Awakening Land Trilogy, named The Trees, presents a rather unique narrative. It's as if Little House on the Prairie was rewritten by Cormac McCarthy.

It tells a dark and devilish story about the Luckett family in the late 1700s. They venture through a vast sea of thick, sky-blackening trees in America's uninhabited backwoods. Their goal is to settle as hermits in the Ohio Valley.

The story is told from various viewpoints, but mainly through the eyes of the Luckett's eldest daughter, Sayward. She has to more or less raise her brothers and sisters as the family faces a series of hardships. There is death, disease, hunger, cold winters, the mysterious disappearance of a family member, some others running away, another having a nervous collapse, and even some ghostly apparitions. Sayward must confront all these challenges as she struggles to keep her family (or what remains of it) alive while growing into womanhood.

Throughout the novel, the Lucketts are eventually joined in the forest by others, transforming their plotted land into a small commune. By the end of the novel, the land begins to "awaken" as the backwoods civilians clear away the trees and progress from hunters to farmers. It's a great start to the trilogy, with a slow and subtle pace, yet simmering with an unearthly magic.

Lovely, oh so lovely is this book. It is truly compelling, authentic, and poetic. The language and the true dialect used in it initially drew me in, but it was the characters that made me stay. Richter shows great respect for these people. He doesn't pass judgment on them, and they don't judge each other either. There is simply no time for such things in the world that these folks inhabit. This story, which is about those who braved the wildness to settle America, sheds light on the drudgery, the hope, and the real daily life of those hardy souls.

So, one can read it for the beautiful language and the rich history it presents. But here is what truly makes it a 5-star book. Sayward Luckett is one of the greatest female characters in all of American fiction. Who would have thought that I would discover her in a 1940's book about the 1790's written by a man? She will surely stick with me for a very long time.

"Let the good come, Sayward thought, for the bad would come of its own self. That's how life was, death and birth, grub and harvest, rain and clearing, winter and summer. You had to take one with the other, for that's the way it ran." This profound thought of Sayward's truly encapsulates the essence of life as presented in this wonderful book.

A strangely powerful book - it's truly hard to put into words the profound impact it had on me.

Written in what effectively resembles the dialect of the late 1700's on the Ohio frontier, it often presented a rather laborious read. However, there was something strangely satisfying about it.

The vivid portrayal of the harsh and rugged life of a frontier family was intensely human and compelling. It had a certain charm that was somehow haunting.

Upon completion, I initially decided to immediately re-read it, hoping to delve more deeply into the world and experience of this family. But ultimately, I decided I'd rather come back to it after a couple of months.

I suspect that the images and emotions evoked by the novel will remain with me, gently coaxing me back to re-read this volume and then progress to the next one in the trilogy.

This book has truly left an indelible mark on my literary journey, and I look forward to revisiting it in the future.

I thoroughly enjoyed this remarkable piece of historical fiction.

It seems to me that the author has masterfully captured the essence of the deep woods that prevailed long before the entire country was deforested, before the establishment of states, before the construction of roads, and before white people inhabited the west of the Mississippi.

The northwest territory during that era encompassed what is now Indiana and Illinois. It was the outermost limit of settlers in this land.

Moreover, the author has successfully captured the language of that time and has done an excellent job of making the dialect come alive in my ears.

I truly loved reading this book. It is a part of a series that I am eager to follow and explore further.

Each page seems to transport me back in time, allowing me to experience the adventures and challenges of the characters in this captivating historical setting.

I can't wait to see what other stories and experiences await me in the subsequent installments of this series.