The Lowering Days: A Novel

Debut novel set in Maine in the 80s-90s when the environmental impact of the textile mills was coming to light. Layers of story about connection to the land, generational intrigue, indigenous rights, and most of all, love. In telling the story years later the narrator David reflects: "As a child in a small community, you can feel the fault lines running beneath your family and other families. These invisible tension wires tie one adult to another. You tiptoe around them. You step over them. You don’t know why they are there, only that they are there, and that they are terribly dangerous things. You realize it only takes a few wrong steps to crack open the earth. Then what’s to keep it from swallowing everyone you love?" (20) Two show more families live adjacent to each other in a wooded seclusion bordered by the Penobscot River and the sea. The Ames family: Arnoux and Falon, and three boys: Simon, Link and David have a history of activism and social justice. Arnoux is a Vietnam deserter and now a boat builder and Falon runs the town newspaper, "The Lowering Days". Despite his desertion, Arnoux is respected and appreciated for his craft and his contributions to the town. Nearby is the home of Lyman Creel, a lobsterman who turned his back on his wealthy mill family, his wife Grace, a social worker and Falon's best friend and their two kids Galen and Wren. Despite his bravery in defying his family, and being a decorated Vietnam Vet, Lyman is feared and disliked. To complicate things further, in high school, Lyman was in love with Falon and so was another boy named Billy Jupiter, who tragically fell from a cliff when the three of them were together. Falon could never forgive Lyman even though he was not to blame. Also, David and Wren are involved in high school. These tensions simmered and stayed contained until someone started the deserted mill on fire in an act of environmental protest. Enter Molly Greenwind, a 14-year old and a member of the Penobscot Nation., and the firestarter. She sends a manifesto to Falon's 'Lowering Days' to be printed and then she and her father Adam go on the run. This starts to weave a tangled web of alliances in the town and also starts to unravel the Creel and Ames families. When some of Lyman's traps are sabotaged by Link and David, the rift turns violent and openly pits the two fathers against each other, though the wives and children stay friends. A tragic accident is the final break and shows the futility of revenge and grudges. There are beautiful myths and mysticism included and the land and sea are almost characters in their own way. On a larger scale, this book is about healing - the rifts of relationships, the abuses on nature, the inner doubts that plague people based on their choices, and the community as a whole. show less

Beautifully written, this tells intertwined stories of families along Penobscot Bay, many of indigenous heritage. Woven throughout are the storytelling and legends of the Native Americans, many reflecting a spiritual one with nature. This is not a fast read; it needs to be savored and reflected upon.

This book wasn't what I was expecting, but it was still an enjoyable read. I quickly became invested, though it took a few days to read. There were two main storylines, which was a bit off-putting at first. I'd get sucked into one, and the other would come in. Both were extremely interesting, but it was difficult for me to focus on both at once.

There were a lot of characters, which got confusing at times, but I became very invested in some of them. I loved Falon, and I'd have loved to see more of her. The characters were well-written, though the main narrator felt more mature than he should've been. I really liked that every character had a flaw, as it made things feel more realistic.

The pacing was a little slow, but overall, it was a show more beautiful book. I liked Gregory's writing style, and I'm looking forward to more books by him.

Disclaimer: I won a gifted copy of this book via Goodreads. This did not influence my opinion in any way. show less

A lyrical novel about families, generational love and hate, returning the land to its purpose and more in a story of three families along the Penobscot River.