I first encountered author David Guterson in 1992, when he was a handsome young father homeschooling his children and working as a public-school English teacher on Bainbridge Island in Washington State. In 1992, I was also a homeschooling parent and a once and future English teacher. I read everything about homeschooling back then, including Guterson’s Family Matters: Why Homeschooling Makes Sense, a personal account of his family’s homeschooling life. He was a clear, appealing stylist, and we shared reservations about the mass education of young people. Like me, Guterson liked teaching and liked his students, but loved watching his kids flourish at home with the attention of both of their parents.
His 1994 novel, Snow Falling on Cedars, along with a movie deal (the film came out in 1999), made him famous. I read and loved his 1999 novel, East of the Mountains even more. I think I may have read Ed King in 2011, although I don’t remember it.
Since then silence, that is, for me. I didn’t keep up with David. Turns out he’s written thirteen books in all, which I didn’t realize until the other day, when I walked past Evelyn in Transit on the New Releases shelf at the library and thought, “Oh. My old friend David Guterson.”
Evelyn is an odd book. The two main characters, who are featured in alternate chapters, have no connection for three fourths of the book. Guterson, in effect, buries the lede–their surprising connection comes at the end. In addition to this unorthodox structure, the writing style is notably spare, cryptic, and unsentimental.
Thus, I won’t be recommending Evelyn in Transit exactly. It’s something other than a compelling narrative–character-driven and theme-driven instead. Guterson wants to explore how to live a meaningful life and chose to write an unconventional novel to do so. A lot of readers on Amazon and Goodreads have disliked it.
I understand those readers, but I disagree. I like and respect Evelyn in Transit. Pick it up if you’re interested in Tibetan Buddhism, reincarnation, odd-duck characters, and occasional sparks of ironic wit. Guterson has written an economical, meticulous, intentional novel. I’ll use this opportunity to advocate for excellent, interesting midlist books. Not every worthwhile book is reviewed in the New York Times and featured on NPR.
David Guterson’s homeschooled kids are grown up now. He’s a grandfather. My kids are grown up too, and I’m a grandparent. I see on YouTube videos that David’s hairline has receded. I won’t enumerate my own physical changes in the past thirty years, but David likely wouldn’t recognize me. I’m so glad to learn that he’s still writing, and that there are lots of his books to catch up on. Let us know if you’ve read any of them.
I read Snow Falling on Cedars so long ago, I only remember that I liked it. I loved East of the Mountains. And this post may spark a reread, since I am close to the protagonists age. Evelyn in Transit sounds intriguing.
Thanks for spotting books like this.