Lost in the Forest

By: Sue Miller

Narrated by: Blair Brown

For nearly two decades, since the publication of her iconic first novel, The Good Mother, Sue Miller has distinguished herself as one of our most elegant and widely celebrated chroniclers of family life, with a singular gift for laying bare the interior lives of her characters. In each of her novels, Miller has written with exquisite precision about the experience of grace in daily life - the sudden, epiphanic recognition of the extraordinary amid the ordinary - as well as the sharp and unexpected motions of the human heart away from it, toward an unruly netherworld of upheaval and desire. But never before have Miller’s powers been keener or more transfixing than they are in Lost in the Forest, a novel set in the vineyards of Northern California that tells the story of a young girl who, in the wake of a tragic accident, seeks solace in a damaging love affair with a much older man.

Eva, a divorced and happily remarried mother of three, runs a small bookstore in a town north of San Francisco. When her second husband, John, is killed in a car accident, her family's fragile peace is once again overtaken by loss. Emily, the eldest, must grapple with newfound independence and responsibility. Theo, the youngest, can only begin to fathom his father's death. But for Daisy, the middle child, John's absence opens up a world of bewilderment, exposing her at the onset of adolescence to the chaos and instability that hover just beyond the safety of parental love. In her sorrow, Daisy embarks on a harrowing sexual odyssey, a journey that will cast her even farther out onto the harsh promontory of adulthood and lost hope.

With astonishing sensuality and immediacy, Lost in the Forest moves through the most intimate realms of domestic life, from grief and sex to adolescence and marriage. It is a stunning, kaleidoscopic evocation of a family in crisis, written with delicacy and masterful care. For her lifelong fans and those just discovering Sue Miller for the first time, here is a rich and gorgeously layered tale of a family breaking apart and coming back together again: Sue Miller at her inimitable best.

©2005 Sue Miller (P)2005 Random House, Inc. Random House Audio, a division of Random House, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Sue Miller has a uniquely American voice, and few women have ever written better about families." (Stephen King)

"In her riveting new novel, Miller once again demonstrates her singular gift for capturing the rhythms of daily family life with laserlike clarity while also summoning the turbulent emotions swirling just beneath the surface....Fluidly written, perfectly paced." (Booklist)

"Bestseller Miller examines love and betrayal in idyllic wine country in another minutely observed, finely paced exploration of domestic relationships....The backdrop of California vineyards is ideal for the growth and life-cycle themes that Miller so carefully cultivates." (Publishers Weekly)

"Engrossing characters and a plot that turns unexpected corners." (Kirkus Reviews)

Hella financial privilege

I've read this book many times over the years, and time was I would have called it a favorite... but after reading again (6th time or so) it's distracting how unrealistic this would be for characters less well off. Almost as if it is saying that this type of life is more important and worthy of examination. hmm. A lot of the story is still enjoyable, just this thought is in the background.

Great portrait of contemporary life in America

Another great book by Sue Miller. I had read the paper version of this book a few years ago and by mistake I read it again in audio format.. but it was just as enjoyable the second time. Everything is not black or white in Sue Miller's view. This book eloquently portrays the trials and tribulations of modern family life where couples seldom last forever and how this affects the children when parents split or if a parent dies. This novel relates how the middle child in this family is affected by the loss of her stepfather and how she is running towards disaster as another man undertakes to do her sentimental education so to speak. The tone in Sue Miller is never moralizing and always the author examines situations in the most subtile way that makes you think and reflect at what is going on. Very interesting and thought provoking book - no clichés and no fairy tale!!

Captivating & Entertaining

This is the first Sue Miller book I have listened too and I plan on listening to her others. "Lost in the Forest" was easy to listen too and really drew you into the lives of the characters. It was hard not to feel the pain of the loss of the childrens father/step-father and become involved in their worlds. I found myself hating Duncan for his role in Daisy's life and sincerely hoping for a reconciliation between Eva & Mark. I definitely recommend taking the time to listen to this book. It moves along quickly but not too quickly that you loose your way in the story. Millers writing style isn't overly wordy or descriptive so you don't get bored but you can visualize the tale she is telling.

Good read but a bit unrealistic

This is my first Sue Miller book and I did enjoy it but felt the whole family dynamic was a bit unrealistic. However I liked the way it was written, and the reader truly made it enjoyable.

Fast moving, true to life

This is a great book! I found it thoroughly engrossing. There is a great cast of characters: conflicted adults, teenagers, children, etc. The dialogue for each of these seemed very real to me. (In many ways, the writing reminded me of Anne Tyler, another author I very much enjoy.) This story is not told in a fully linear fashion. Each of the main characters has a subplot and separate point of view. The narration moves between these inter-related subplots. Sometimes, parts of the story are told in flashback. I knew it was all going to resolve in the end. However, I did not foresee the ending, which I found full of insight. Blair Brown does a fantastic job of narrating. She captures each character's voice with individuality. Highly recommended!

Just about flawless

I really enjoyed this book, was sorry when it ended,and it is one of those that stay with you pensively.
Very insightful and sensitive portrayal of parenting and being parented. A wonderfully emotionally rounded out male figure in Mark, the father in this divorced family, and how he stays involved with his children in an increasing way as they grow up.
Well developed characters, an enjoyable and fascinating book to read.

Just O.K.

I can't remember what made me chose this book. Perhaps I wanted to try out the author. Was just o.k. Seemed to jump around. Thought it was going to get to a point eventually so I read the whole thing but it just never seemed to get there.

Wouldn't recommend.

I was glad when this book ended, the story just didn't seem to go anywhere or have a point. It jumped around from different characters and didn't hold my interest much. The ending was really disjointed and unsatisfying. I enjoyed the narrator though, that and the fact that I paid for it were probably the only reasons I listened to the entire thing.

No backbone

I have long been a fan of Sue Miller's work but this latest novel lseems to lack the undercarriage of solid narrative conflict that usually serves as a stage upon which all the various family issues are enacted. What's this story all about? I kept reading and reading, waiting for something to happen and was left with what seemed like one of those (admitttedly well-written) holiday newsletters. The work compares unfavorably to "The Good Mother" and "While You Were Gone" where good solid moral dilemmas ignite the characters and power the narrrative. I have great faith in MIller's work, however, and I am sure she can and will do better.

Ho-Hum

Couple divorces, wife remarries, kids grow up, blah blah blah...
I listened to maybe two chapters, skipped over to the last hour, then skipped to the last 5 minutes.
If I missed anything, I don't care. Characters were ho-hum. Story was ho-hum. Reader couldn't do better than ho-hum because the story was so ho-hum.