Isabel Zuber

John Bayley meets Anna Stockton when she's in her late teens. He decides right away that he's going to marry her. She looks to be a strong woman who knows how to work. After burying two wives, that combination appeals to John. The rest of the book follows the ups and downs of their marriage and their relationship to the land.

My biggest issue with this book was that I somehow felt like I was watching a silent movie as I read it. I felt very much outside the story. I got the feeling that this was done on purpose so that I the reader would be more focused on what the author was trying to show me rather than on how I felt about each character or event. It was effective, but I do like to feel a connection to the characters I read about, so it wasn't a style I cared for.

There was a lot going on in this book. The point didn't really seem to be the story itself, but rather to explore man's relationship to nature and also man's relationship to other men. What I took away was a message about humanity's need to dominate our surroundings and how futile that need is. Nature will win in the end. I also took away a message about the futility of our hopes and dreams and how we are ultimately so impermanent that we will be nothing more than a fleeting memory. This is all true, but it's a little bleak for my taste.

The author is a poet and it shows in her lyrical, yet succinct prose. She says a lot in such a relatively short book, but she says it beautifully.

Salt left me thinking, and I believe I will think about it for a long time. But ultimately I did feel too far removed from the story to give it more than three stars. This will appeal to those who are more interested in a message than in caring about characters. It was a strong book, it just wasn't necessarily to my taste.… (mehr)

I loved it. I've always been of the opinion that poets tend to write the best books--and Isabel Zuber just reaffirmed that. This story is absolutely riveting. I was so captivated by every word, every sentence. Not much really happens plot-wise in this book, but it was still very enjoyable. It tells primarily of the marriage and lives of Anna Stockton and John Bayley. Isabel Zuber took great time and detail to describe this family's story while remaining historically accurate. This isn't a novel to leave you feeling warm and fuzzy inside. It's actually quite a bitter novel. I for one was very bitter towards John and how he held Anna back from her dreams. I kept hoping throughout the book that she would find a way to break free from John and his oppressive nature. I suppose she did that through sending her children to school and instilling a greater love of learning in them. However, even though Anna didn't find her happy ending, she quickly grew to be my favorite character out of the book. Her story was empowering, in a way. I also really enjoyed the rustic feel of this novel. It's set in the South, mostly on various farms and there is a feel of that slow, laid-back Southern lifestyle. On a side note, the quotes/verses about salt also kept the novel interesting and I thought that was a fresh, unique idea. Also, even though this is a work of fiction, it is a very believable story.

Overall, my favorite part about this book was Isabel Zuber's writing style. Her poetic nature really shined through and lent the story a beautiful structure.… (mehr)