Idaho: A Novel

It was awful. Plodding and never really went anywhere. Great if you are interested in how Idaho got its name, rather than finding out what really happened. Also lots of descriptions of lovely meadows. Goes back in forth in time and characters. Mother kills child (we think), other daughter disappears the same day. Husband re-marries our heroine. Lots of spousal abuse but she stays to calm him (ugh). There is really no resolution to the mysteries (and I soldiered on, kept reading in the hopes I would have questions answered) I would give it NO STARS if that was possible!

To paraphrase Wilkie Collins, perhaps I’m old-fashioned, but I think novels should tell a story. The whole time I was reading this mess, I kept thinking that surely there would be a point to it. Huge dis-appoint-ment, as it were. Sorry I read it all the way to the end.

What a read. Loved descriptions of nature animals sky weather. All character's lives revealed and I still want more. Very well thought out and written for some one like me to read. I will not go beyond the last page.

Intriguing read. Seldom do we get a good portrait of how depression impacts on a person's life. The characters in this book are perfectly imperfect. As we read we wonder, "Can they really be like this?" And then we come to the conclusion they can. Bravo for a portrait that breathes with reality, drama, and vibrancy. Plenty of moments to make one weep but also plenty to say this is how we cope.

Loved everything about this novel -- until the final chapter. Very disappointed that the mystery was not resolved. Left you on the side of the road. No real answers or satisfaction. I wanted to write my own ending.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The depth of the characters and the descriptions of their lives; the way the author made the land come alive. I think about this book and the relationships that scatter between characters. I believe that I could read and read and still not solve all the mysteries intimated. Very worthy of all the accolades. Read this book!

Ann and Wade have carved out a life for themselves from a rugged landscape in northern Idaho, where they are bound together by more than love. With her husband’s memory fading, Ann attempts to piece together the truth of what happened to Wade’s first wife, Jenny, and to their daughters. In a story written in exquisite prose and told from multiple perspectives—including Ann, Wade, and Jenny, now in prison—we gradually learn of the mysterious and shocking act that fractured Wade and Jenny’s lives, of the love and compassion that brought Ann and Wade together, and of the memories that reverberate through the lives of every character in Idaho.

In a wild emotional and physical landscape, Wade’s past becomes the center of Ann’s imagination, as Ann becomes determined to understand the family she never knew—and to take responsibility for them, reassembling their lives, and her own.

My Thoughts: In the very beginning of Idaho: A Novel, we are introduced to Ann and Wade at a time in their lives when Wade’s memories are beginning to fade.

I could visualize the scenery of their mountaintop home and understood why they remained there, even though Wade had lived there with his first wife Jenny, and their two daughters, June and May.

The story goes back and forth in time, to Wade’s childhood, Ann’s younger years, and then leaps ahead to a time in the distant future, when Wade is no longer a part of the picture. We watch as Ann carefully arranges her life so that she can move on.

We see the life Wade and Jenny had together, and then we flash forward to Jenny in prison, how she copes, and the one friendship she maintains with a woman named Elizabeth.

The tragedy that led to Jenny’s imprisonment was one that left this reader with many questions, and by the end, hanging in there and hoping for clear answers. Through Ann’s searching and imagining, we think we have it figured out…but it is only guesswork.

No clear resolution made the book feel frustrating, although it was well written. It will be one that stays with me, mostly because the book felt like a puzzle I could not quite solve. We do have a sense of Ann moving forward, however, and can visualize some of what lies ahead for Jenny. A 4 star read.

Like the Snake River, the story winds and twists back and forth. Sometimes between years and often between perspectives. It turns back on itself and looks forward and backward at the same time. Intriguing plot and really deeply developed characters.

This book is well written with wonderfully written descriptions of the characters, situations and places. Lyrical even while highlighting the darker side of human nature. The twists and turns kept the storyline alive and interesting.

Well-written, vivid detail. Not a light read by any means. I found very little hope in the story however the reader is driven to continue in anticipation of positive outcomes. It's a wonderful, sad tale. The ending is worthwhile.

Idaho is a mystery so deeply and lovingly written that I will miss the words and the descriptions until I can find another story as beautiful as this one. That will not be easy. It may even take forever.

I enjoyed reading this book. Many of these characters are well developed in quite unforgettable. However at times the book became somewhat confusing as the author jumped from character to character and year-to-year. That being said I will certainly be looking out for her next book.

This is an extremely well written novel. However, I found it to be heartbreaking on many levels. In it, repeatedly, the reader will be reminded how fragile life can be and how extreme love and compassion can be within the boundaries of an isolated state with uncontrollable hardships.

This book feels unfinished. The writing is mostly excellent, although sometimes it veers into overwriting. But it just ends, leaving more than one significant question - questions that drive the whole book - unanaswered. The book comes off as a mystery that is never solved. Sure, in life, questions go unanswered. But this is a book, and I invested many hours in reading it, and I expected much more of a payoff. I found it to be extremely frustrating and I would not recommend it.

It is a compelling, beautifully written book. It evokes the landscapes, history and people in Idaho in a tragic story that moves back and forth through time.It celebrates family and friendship and the elusiveness of memory.

Wade and Jenny Mitchell are Idaho prairie folk who leave the flat land to live in the mountains. They live a spare and isolated life with harsh winters. First their daughter Lily is born, whose name is changed to June during her first year of life as a constant reminder of a familial financial loss. Then their younger daughter, May arrives. The family dynamics are complicated, and Ruskovich builds the tension until a sudden, unexplainable moment of violence leads to unspeakable tragedy and the destruction of the Mitchell family.

Wade marries a second time, Anne, an English woman introduced at the beginning of the book. She is a music teacher who had briefly spied on daughter June at school, but never has any contact with the child. Wade and Anne begin to build a life together. Gradually, yet another loss occurs: Wade, like his father, is afflicted with early onset dementia. He has no memory of his daughters or his first wife, but he carries the pain of unexplained loss. It is Anne who desperately seeks answers and ways to keep the familial connections and memories alive. The lack of chronological order in the chapters can make the story line difficult to follow. Time can shift from 1999 to 1973 to as far ahead as 2025. The descriptions of the mountain landscape and characters' inner thoughts border on poetry. Some readers may find the lack of a tidy ending unsettling, This may be the author's clever device to underscore the reader's loss of answers to the disturbing questions: why was one daughter murdered and where has the other daughter disappeared to? These questions linger long after the novel's final page.

Although I enjoyed the writing and parts of the story I found the novel to be too introspective with no resolution or clarity. I do not understand what happened to June or what the visions of Ann were about.

This first time novel by talented Emily Ruskovich, had some good prose throughout the book, but it also had a lot of moments where I was shaking my head in utter confusion. I loved some chapters, chapters that actually made sense, and followed the story beautifully, while others just did not fit within the narrative, and could have easily been left out or re-worked. This novel had promise, and it came together in the end, although it was a weird ending, very fitting for this novel. But, for me, this novel fell short of making it outstanding. I wish that there was more about the girls lives included in the book, this approach left the reader cheated of getting to know the inner workings of the girls and their family.
I do believe that in spots, this novel read like a poem, which I believe, is what the author was going for, but overall it just did not work.

This gorgeous debut by Emily Ruskovich contains all the quiet, somber beauty of an Elizabeth Strout or Michael Cunningham novel.

It begins from the perspective of Ann, a devoted second wife to Wade, who is battling early onset dementia. Before Ann and Wade were married, Wade had a family: a wife and two daughters. But a shocking act of violence left one of his daughters dead, the other missing, and his first wife imprisoned for life.

Ann's isn't the only perspective we have though. Throughout the novel, Ruskovich jumps expertly around in time, giving us a glimpse into all of the characters—even some of the minor ones—and gradually providing morsels of insight into what happened to bring their lives to the point that they're at now.

There's an element of mystery, but this is not a thriller by any means; it's more of a character study. The semblance of answers, as inconclusive as they may be, are fulfilling in their vagueness: after all, in life, we don't always find the answers. Sometimes we have to do the best with what we have.

Numerous times throughout this novel, I was stunned by the layers of complexity within—nearly brought to tears by a small but poignant revelation. Ruskovich's insights into fundamental aspects of humanity—love, loss, guilt, forgiveness, memory—are incredible, and the compassion she feels for her characters allows us as readers to deeply sympathize with all of them.

Idaho has certainly set the bar high for 2017 releases.

I approached this novel with much anticipation. It started out well, but as the plot unfolded the story becomes a slog.. The author is a good writer and her use of words and descriptions is excellent. However she disappoints in her development of characters and failure to clarify various plot sub sections, at lest to satisfy this reader. The unspeakable act of a mother killing her child is never adequately explained. Not sure how you can explain a mother's murder of her child but failing to deal with it adequately does a disservice to the reader.. Over emphasizing redemption and forgiveness didn't do it for me. Overall this novel was a real disappointment..

I'm always looking for new authors to read. Sadly, this is not one of them. I struggled to finish this, mostly out of hope. I've never read a sadder, more depressing story. If you read this, about a day into it, you'll wonder why the world seems so bleak...then you'll realize it's what you're feeling from trying to read this book.

First, this should comply with the $9.99 policy. I wouldn't normally buy it, but it was for the book club. I mean, you can't resell digital books, why are authors so greedy? I lived in Idaho for years and was hopeful, but this was simply not an interesting book.

Disappointed ....
I was excited to start this book as the plot sounded so interesting. Each night I would pick it up with excitement knowing that soon I would reach the end and find out why and where !! What could have driven Jenny to murder her small daughter May and what ever happened to June?
This might sound crazy and maybe I didn't understand what I was reading but at the very end I felt like there was something about Wade saying to Ann that he loved her she said we shouldn't speak of such things in the school room ... and they were playing a specific song.. I sound that way and continue to practice at home... at one point when Jenny and May were in the truck was May singing this song? Did it mean something to Jenny? Did she perhaps think Wade was having an affair??? And also she spoke I thought about Ann's English accent !! Oh my gosh I have no idea... I'm just trying desperately to figure it out....but maybe it's not meant to be figured out.

Loved the writing. This author gives very vivid descriptions of the wildlife and the landscape of Idaho. I look at the writing and the story before rating a book. The story just did not come together for me. It was a mystery inside of a mystery. I received no closure at the end and could not comprehend why the violence was done in the first place. 3.5*

IDAHO

IDAHO is a complex, interesting, mournful, hopeful, intricate book. I loved every word. First time author Emily Ruskovich has hit a home run!!!

Ann and Wade live a happy and isolated life on a mountain in Idaho. However, always at the back of their happiness nudging both of them is the past. Wade's past is horrific -- and Ann wants to help him get through this harrowing experience -- one so horrible and unspeakable that the emotions and consequences of this event will never go away. Ann wants to satisfy her own curiosity about this afternoon on the mountain - the one afternoon will forever change the lives of Wade, his first wife, Jenny, and his two daughters, June and May.

Told through many different voices, shifting in time between past/present/future, IDAHO is a beautiful and disturbing story. If this sounds confusing and disjointed; it is not. The time shifts and different points-of-views add to the overall ambience of this book. As other reviewers have mentioned, to review too much would be to give too much away and spoil the reading experience for others. I will say this is one of the most shocking and wonderful books I've read in a long time.

There is a lot of insight into how people's actions affect so many different people's lives in so many different ways. Nature, man, woman, child are all involved in this story. The writing is sparse, sharp, poetic. Ruskovich grew up in the area where this book takes place and has the talent to make you smell, feel, and experience your surroundings.

There are many questions left unanswered in this book -- WHY? WHERE? WHAT HAPPENED? These situations that are left fogged certainly add to the overall mystery and drama of the book.

Author Emily Ruskovich is a graduate of the Iowa Writer's Workshop. She is a winner of the O. Henry Prize and the 2011-12 James C. McCreight Fiction Fellow at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Awards and winnings aside, this girl can write. I highly recommend this book and hope to enjoy future works of Ms. Ruskovich.

I was interested in the mystery of who actually killed May and what happened to June. The writing often has a mystical quality, very poetic. But at the end, I felt there wasn't a lot at the heart of the story except a poetic riff on memory and how deceptive memory can be.