Book Review - Chronicles of a Radical Hag

I love every word Lorna Landvik writes. I won a free copy of this book in exchange for a review from Bookish First. I waited (im)patiently for them to send me an electronic copy, only to receive an actual hardcover version in the mail this week. I read it in two days, and absolutely did not want it to end!

This is the story of life in a small town in Minnesota. Beloved octogenarian Haze Evans has been writing a column in the local newspaper, the Granite Creek Gazette, for 50 years. When Haze suffers a massive stroke and falls into a coma at the age of 81 (in 2016), publisher Susan McGrath decides to temporarily republish Haze's plethora of past columns, along with reader responses, which Haze kept in files in her office. The stories of the townsfolk are told alongside Haze's story, including Susan's own story of separation from her husband, and growing discord with her youngest son, 14 year old Sam. Young Sam is employed over the summer to help sort through the column's and past reader responses. At first resentful and angry, Sam grows to learn more of himself, more about the town, Haze, and his family's legacy newspaper through his job.

Landvik's quirky, fun, sometimes curmudgeonly characters are fully brought to life with her magical words and vivid descriptions of Minnesota, but most especially what it is like to live in a closely knit small town. Haze's words about all matter of subjects throughout her 50 years of columns remind us of snippets of history and human responses to life and living. She reflects on simple things like recipes, having a dog, decorum and manners, as well as other more important events; the loss of lives in World War II, the radical 60's, the fun 70's, and into tragic, sad and important events throughout the last 5 decades. Reader responses were not always kind, but Haze kept them all. Young Sam is the glue that brings Haze words back to life, and unites the people of the town, both young and old, into an even stronger community. Throughout the summer Sam continues his job alongside his mother, and when the school year begins, he brings Haze's words and stories to his high school. With the help of his English teacher, they form a special class called "Radical Hag Wednesday's" which in turn helps Sam and his friends and family grow and learn more about themselves and the world.

This is such a beautifully written story of life, love, loss, and discovery; it shows that all of us have a story hidden inside of us, and things are never quite what they seem on the surface. I am so glad to have been given a chance to read and review this book. I am inspired to go back and re-read the Lorna Landvik books I have previously read (all of them) and re-experience her words again and again. This book is due to be published March 26, and I can hardly wait for the next one to be written!