Barkskins

This story spans about 300 years and follows the two Frenchmen, René Sel and Charles Duquet, as they arrive in New France (Canada), and become wood-cutters, a.k.a. barkskins. Set mostly in Canada, and New England, the story also moves to Europe, China, New Zealand, and across the United States. It's a story about the rampant deforestation that occurred in the name of business, and the cultural annihilation of the Indian tribes of the area. I was in the mood for a big meaty novel and I'm a big fan of the Pulitzer Prize-­­winning book, The Shipping News, so this one sounded interesting. And it was. I was hooked from the get-go. Ms. Proulx is an accomplished writer – this is her tenth book – and a wonderful storyteller. You can tell a ton of research went into this fat novel. I never got bored and finished it in about a month.