Northwest Corner

Northwest Corner (2011) by John Burnham Schwartz. In Northwest Corner, Schwartz picks up again the story started in his earlier novel, Reservation Road. It starts with Dwight's son, Sam, getting in trouble during a bar fight after striking out during the college baseball championships. Sam travels to California, where Dwight has relocated, but Sam seems unsure of why he's come. Ruth, his mother, comes and fetches him back to Connecticut, where he must face the consequences of his actions in the bar fight. The story is very well told, with the point of view shifting among the several characters throughout the book, and with only Dwight's part of the story told in the first person. It's quite good, really, but somehow I couldn't quite get engaged completely with the story. Probably more my fault than the book. If you've read and enjoyed Reservation Road, you will very likely find Northwest Corner quite rewarding. Grade: B