Land That Moves, Land That Stands Still

This novel entertained me so much that I couldn't put it down. What more can I ask of a book? Kent Nelson's writing was lovely and unsentimental, crisp and clear headed. I was hanging on the words, dreaming on behalf of the characters and hoping their problems would find happy resolutions. And they did, but not easily - these characters earned their triumphs. This novel was full of profound and subtle fire. As a reader, my time was richly rewarded.

Kent Nelson's new book is a good read. That is the best thing I can say about a book. It is hard to put down - I want to finish it, but then I am sad when I have finished it because it is the end of the story. Every reader must know this feeling. Kent Nelson does an incredible job of getting into the mind of women. I read this and want to be more like Shelley, more like Dawn - even more like Mattie. Shelley could be my daughter - I remember being that age and some of it is just exactly how it was; there is a braveness in his character of Dawn and a sense of knowing exactly what one wants to do - I always want to be strong like that; but I think the central core of a woman in this story is his character Mattie. His conversations flow in such a way that reading becomes almost like watching a movie - it is that smooth. He is funny and witty and sad in ways that always move me. His love of the land, and his knowledge of the land, comes through. I know this land - I can feel it in my bones just from the way he writes. I read a lot. I follow a lot of writers closely and read everything they publish. Kent Nelson is the best of them. It is a real treat to have a new book by him because they are very rare. He also writes short stories and has a few collections of these stories published, and they are just as wonderful as his novels. Kent Nelson has a style that gives us, as readers, credit for our own intelligence - he gives us room to think about his stories and even to sometimes think about how and why, or even what, happens. I go in bookstores and wander around - I am sometimes overwhelmed by the sheer number of books out there. This is a book I so highly recommend. It is a good story, sometimes it reads so smoothly it is almost like poetry. Kent Nelson knows how to tell a story - how to put people in a place and time and show us a part of their lives. And he makes us, as readers, interested. He makes us care.

Kent Nelson's LAND THAT MOVES, LAND THAT STANDS STILL reads like a grass fire. Nelson makes it difficult to put down. Master craftsman, he interweaves each character with the theme, plot, and setting so that the reader feels and sees everything in the character's world. From the first page the reader cares what happens to these people who make their livelihood on this beautiful ranch in South Dakota. The reader is well cared for and always knows where she is in story and place. Nothing is superfluous and all things work together to support the mysterious transitory nature of the land and the people who live in relation to it. No one can control their environment, the only choice becomes to move with it.Mattie is a marvelous creation full of contradictions, puzzlements, and needs that resonate with the reader. She lives in harmony with the people and the land as she struggles to understand those around her and to make a go of the ranch on her own. This novel is richly populated with other characters who help or hinder her, and they, too, are also fully realized and each distinct from one another. At no time is one character confused with another. The land itself becomes a character as it carries the theme and moves the plot forward. It's wonderful how all things and characters exist and happen because of this place. Even the vivid, lyrical language is an integral player here. LAND THAT MOVES, LAND THAT STANDS STILL is a rewarding and satisfying read.

Kent Nelson has used his magic to take us into the lives of three women and an Indian boy in rural So. Dakota. From the time you read the first page until you finish the final page you'll find yourself drawn into the lives of his characters, and feel saddened the story is over. Kent knows the area he's writing about, and he understands his characters that live there. His dialogue rings true as he guides you through the lives of the women and the boy this story is about. As you travel through their lives, the subtlety of his sense of place never intrudes, yet in your mind you can see and feel where you've been, and what you've seen.

Kent Nelson's new novel is a must read for anyone that likes story telling at it's best. His sense of place is magically woven into the story almost without the reader realizing it. But from the begining you get a feel of the land, and the harshness and beauty of it. The characters, when its their turn, are introduced with such few words, and so vividly, that several times I stopped and re-read their descriptions to decide how the author had done it. Here's an example from page 93: "Still holding a wrench, Hector rolled out from under the corn picker in greasy overalls. His black hair was haloed under a Buffalo Gap Feeds cap. A tattoo, the bottom of something Mattie couldn't see, was hidden by the sleeve of his T-shirt." The easy flow of the words as the story takes place makes it difficult to put the novel down, and I found myself saddened when I realized I was coming to the end of the story and would no longer be involved in the lives of the characters. I have been reading Kent Nelson's stories for years, and in my opinion is one of the finest writers writing today.