Man in the Woods by Scott Spencer

Man in the Woods by Scott Spencer.

Note: not THE Man in the Woods.

There's a lot to like in this book. Great characters and a tense story line, wonderful language (notice I do not use the word "luminous").

Paul Phillips is the main character, someone who has been if not a drifter then a free spirit, who works in wood on an almost spiritual level. He meets Kate, a recovered alcoholic, a single mother with a young daughter, Ruby. Kate is a new-agey Christian writer whose book has become a mega- Opra-esque bestseller. They live in a trendy New York town which is rapidly becomine a yuppie enclave, much to the regret of those who have made it their home for many years.

But Paul has a chance encounter that leads him to do something unspeakable, although not entirely his fault: no good deed goes unpunished, right? The book leads us through Paul's, and ultimately Kate's, struggle with this secret and how it transforms the three main characters over the course of a year.

Essentially Paul is a good person, as is Kate, and carrying something so profound inside them, something that is so against their natures, takes its toll on both of them, and on Ruby.

This was the essence of the book for me. Backing up from the point at which the universe shifts for Paul, you see a series of events and how they lead up to that point that I found fascinating. The book's message was subtle but deeply moving. I thought the ending was perfect.

A worthwhile read.

Reviews:
Washington Post
Cleveland Plain Dealer