I love Monica Wood’s novels, as well as her wonderful book about growing up in Mexico, Maine. But I didn’t know I had not read her first novel, Ernie’s Ark, until it was republished this year. And I’m so glad it was, because it’s really good.
Its stories are very real, and I liked the way she went back and forth with the stories of two families who live in paper mill towns. On the front cover, Christina Baker Kline describes the book well: Ernie’s Ark is as true as life.
And I can’t describe it any better than this, from Publishers Weekly, on the back cover: Wood does a remarkable job of illuminating the character’s inner lives… skillfully layering their brief but complex stories with humor, empathy, and melancholy.
And I wasn’t surprised to learn that Ernie’s Ark is Monica’s favorite novel.
Monica has also written some short stories and great plays, one of which, Papermaker, Linda and I enjoyed at the Portland Stage.
Monica, who lives in Portland, has won many awards and had novels translated into 20 languages. Yup, she’s really popular!