The Round Barn

A wonderful story set in Vermont. Ms. Wizowaty introduces a rich, varied cast of characters - artists, students, loners, lesbians - but they never become cliches. The reader is pulled into the story by the author's excellent storytelling skills; she manages to weave together several disparate sub-plots in a compelling, cohesive manner. I hope to see more novels from Ms. Wizowaty in the future!

The Round Barn takes us back to the days of the great american novel by authors of the past. Ms. Wizowati really gets the characters lives of their own and tells a good story too. Very few novels stay with you long after reading, this one does. I think we will be hearing from this author for a long time to come.

The story centers around a museum in rural Vermont that acquires and relocates a historic round barn (the scene of moving the silo with a helicopter is wonderful). However, this is really a character-driven novel. The author successfully braids together half a dozen different storylines (featuring characters young and old, gay and straight) into a satisfying whole. The author has thoroughly imagined each of the characters and presents them with great skill and sympathy.