North Woods cover art

North Woods

Preview
Try Standard free
Select 1 audiobook a month from our entire collection.
Listen to your selected audiobooks as long as you're a member.
Get unlimited access to bingeable podcasts.
Auto-renews at $8.99/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

North Woods

By: Daniel Mason
Narrated by: Arthur Morey, Billie Fulford-Brown, George Newbern, Jason Culp, Jayne Entwistle, Kirsten Potter, Mark Bramhall, Mark Deakins, Michael Crouch, Simon Vance
Try Standard free

Auto-renews at $8.99/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for $26.99

Buy Now for $26.99

About this listen

The 'spellbinding' American epic.

'Truly outstanding' Mail on Sunday

'This is a time-spanning, genre-blurring work of storytelling magic . . . The only constants are the land and Mason's genius' Washington Post

'Daniel Mason's latest novel is one of those rare books that truly deserves the description "spellbinding" ' Observer

'A tapestry at once intimate and epic' TLS

'Utterly beguiling' Scotsman

'Extraordinary characters . . . a tour de force' Independent, Best Books for Autumn

'Epic . . . weaves a Cloud Atlas-style narrative of humanity under pressure and nature under threat' Guardian, 2023's Biggest Books

FOUR CENTURIES. A SINGLE HOUSE DEEP IN THE WOODS OF NEW ENGLAND.

A young Puritan couple on the run. An English soldier with a fantastic vision. Inseparable twin sisters. A lovelorn painter and a lusty beetle. A desperate mother and her haunted son. A ruthless con man and a stalking panther. Buried secrets. Madness, dreams and hope.

All are connected. The dark, raucous, beautiful past is very much alive.

Exhilarating, daring and playful, NORTH WOODS will change the way you see the world.

'A monumental achievement . . . I loved it' Maggie O'Farrell

'Ambitious, alive, and lush with generosity . . . an immersive sprint through time' Tess Gunty

(P)2023 Penguin Random House Audio©2023 Daniel Mason
Fiction Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Small Town & Rural Destiny Witty Inspiring

Critic Reviews

Set in a single home in the forests of Massachusetts, the interconnecting stories of
this enthralling novel span four centuries. A timely musing on what and who are lost
to history.
My novel of the year . . . An absolute feast of American political, agricultural, religious, culinary and social history built around the people, animals and plants that occupy one lush spot in the New England countryside over centuries, it's a little piece of magic
Daniel Mason's latest novel is one of those rare books that truly deserves the description "spellbinding"
Epic . . . weaves a Cloud Atlas-style narrative of humanity under pressure and nature under threat
This is a brave and original book, which invents its own form. It is both intimate and epic, playful and serious. To read it is to travel to the limits of what the novel can do
Mason teases out the joy and meaning in the sometimes small lives of his characters. North Woods has been heaped with praise and hype, and deservedly so. This is a book that treats life as a miracle and demands the proper awe from its readers
Creates a tale of sensory obsession to rank with Patrick Suskind's Perfume . . . Shows us what is possible when a writer lets his hair down
'This is a time-spanning, genre-blurring work of storytelling magic . . . The only constants are the land and Mason's genius'
Adopting a variety of styles and literary forms, and written in elegant prose, this is a virtuoso
performance. All human life and nature is here. Truly outstanding
Deliciously chimeric
Stunning
Narrative expertise is supported by rich characterisation: in chapter after chapter, Mason swiftly realises his compelling, varied cast . . . It seems almost a magic trick, the way in which Mason knits his lives into a single tale. He links their stories together with a satisfying subtlety that never fails to surprise and delight . . . and he brings well-earned surprises that had me, on more than one occasion, gasping with shock
Mason may not yet be a household name, but his readers tend to be evangelical about his talent - and little wonder . . . Mason has the born storyteller's gift of knowing how to reignite your interest in a new scenario even as you're mourning the one just gone
Epic, playful, polyphonic . . . Daniel Mason's formal innovation and narrative depth combine to transcendent effect, illustrating the wondrous ways in which we are rooted in our surroundings and history
Mason follows the inhabitants of a secluded western Massachusetts home and their tragedies across centuries in this spectacular ghost story . . . [He] interleaves his crystalline prose with enchanting and authentic-seeming historical documents . . . Each arc is beautifully, heartbreakingly conveyed, stitching together subtle connections across time. This astonishes
All stars
Most relevant
Very interesting and wonderful story.
Would listen to more books by this author. Looking forward to more from this author

Excellent!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

A poetic, humerus and vast journey of people and time told through one place. I loved the book and will listen to it again.

Beautiful observation of life

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

A magical, mesmerising story of a little yellow house in the New England woods. Fear, horror, humour, beauty, wonder & love, all are found in this wonderful tale. Outstanding narration.

Spellbinding!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

Excellent narration all except one very early on who is a bit flowery and melodramatic. She’s only got a very short bit, though, so push through. A wonderful tale through the ages.

What a fabulous story!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

A very unusual novel which I enjoyed very much. It was clever, amusing, haunting, sad and creepy. It told many stories and broke with expectation with no character growth. But I have a new perspective on life and generations. Worth reading.

Extraordinary

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

See more reviews
In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.