by David Guterson, 460 pages When local fisherman Carl Heine is found dead in his own net, the unnerved, wary eyes of his 1950s Washington community quickly fall on the head of another fisherman, Kabuo Miyamoto. Local newsman and war veteran Ishmael Chambers doggedly follows the ensuing trial, but his motives are soon revealed to extend far beyond mere journalistic interest. As one man's life hangs in the balance, another's reaches a crossroad.
I enjoyed this quiet, lyrical tale of racism, lost love, and war's lasting effects set in the Pacific Northwest in the years following World War II. As the links between the variously scarred characters are slowly revealed, a picture of a dark, often-neglected chapter in American history takes shape alongside a very personal journey through adolescence, first love, and the often bitter, character-shaping lessons that come with growing up. A puzzling mystery, tense courtroom drama, bittersweet love story, and snapshot of cultural history all rolled into one atmospheric tale, Snow Falling on Cedars reminds me a little of Faulkner's Intruder in the Dust and Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird with just a pinch of Rose's Twelve Angry Men. Very nice.
The book also has the distinction of having been banned (it was our in-house book discussion title in celebration of Banned Books Week!) as well as of winning the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Award and the PEN/Faulkner Award.
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