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My buddy Tassava read both of Philip Connors’s books after I did, and he loved both, as I did. He had a different final conclusion, however. Here is the beginning of his review of the second, All the Wrong Places.

Last year, Julia had recommended that I read Connors’ first book, Fire Season, a long essay on his work at a lookout in a fire tower in a huge wilderness area in New Mexico. Both a reflection on a solitary endeavor and a historical and philosophical examination of the nature of wildness, Fire Season is exceptionally good, and well worth the time of anyone who enjoys memoir or nature writing.

All the Wrong Places is a kind of prequel to Fire Season, a partial explanation of why Connors abandoned a good life and career in New York City for the isolation and inwardness of the fire tower. In brief, the second book is the story of Connors’ efforts to understand how his older brother, Dan, came to commit suicide, more or less out of the blue.

…You can read the rest of Tassava’s review here. And, my review of same.

Thanks, Tassava, for your contribution.

Filed under: book reviews | Tagged: creative nonfiction, family, memoir, nonfiction, Tassava |