A fascinating insight into a beautiful corner of the USA
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I bought 'South of Seattle' as a result of Lindsay Farber's comments and because my search on northwest USA humour showed it up. It is not a book with great 'belly laughs', but it is full of an insight into the life of the Pacific North West which is usually missed by the tourist (in person or through literature). I visited Castle Rock by accident late one wet afternoon in 1995 when looking for Mount St Helen's (I turned left off I5 north instead of right!). I can now but regret that I had not read James LeMonds' book four years ago so that I could have appreciated his small town better. Similarly, his overview of the local way of life would have much improved my visit to south Washington the Olympics and given me a more realistic understanding of what the felling and replanting was all about. The huge advantage of my late knowledge is that I now have an excuse to revisit. This is without doubt a book that I can heartily recommend to anyone that loves to share in another's love of their native country and way of life. In England, we have a quarterly magazine called the 'Countryman' which has been in production for over half a century (I can't go back further) and I have always loved it for its gentle and often humorous tales of the English countryside. 'South of Seattle' fulfils the same role for LeMonds' Washington. Read and enjoy!
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A Former Student's Opinion
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I am a former English student of the author of "South of Seattle," and not only is this man an exceptional teacher, but he is the only writer of my acquaintance to so vibrantly capture the spirit of life in the ever-growing Pacific Northwest--roots, leaves, rain, et al. If you want to experience a small lumber town and are unfourtunate enough not to have been born and raised there, then take your next best option as an outsider and read this book. This journey through time and terrain is all the more meaningful due to the obvious love the author feels for his topic. Don't miss this one...
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