Brewster's a 'Hardscrabble Town' Says Book Reviewer

A new coming-of-age novel set in a fictionalized Brewster got a good review from Peter Geye writing in the book section of the Star Tribune Aug. 3. 

The novel, Brewster, is the sixth work by Mark Slouka, who lives locally. It's set in the 1960s.

In his review, Geye says, "In the opening pages, Jon Mosher, the novel’s narrator and emotional center, observes: “How it felt [to live in Brewster] was like somebody twice as strong as you had their hand around your throat. You could choke or fight.” Slouka’s characters both choke and fight. They also love and hate and dream. And though “Brewster” is a coming-of-age novel in the classic sense, Slouka’s deft storytelling gives the book a sort of wisdom not always found in the genre."

There's consensus that the fictionalized Brewster is "a hardscrabble town." 

Geye called it that and so did Nancy, reviewing the book on goodread.com: "A raw and wrenching look at incredible teenage friendships set in the Viet Nam era in a hardscrabble town, I loved the spare writing style and the emotion conveyed between the words. Not for the sqeamish...this is pretty dark.." 

Check out more reader reviews for Brewster on goodreads.com.