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Janet Hulstrand's avatar

I agree with all of this, and am in the process of reading the book myself. One thing not mentioned here that I really love about Downie's writing is how he brings his readers along with him on whatever journey he is on. You don't just learn about the *things* he learns when he visits his mother's ancestors home village; you experience the rainstorm he and his wife drove through on tricky Alpine roads to get there, and are right there by his side when the proprietor of a little cafe they are eating in bursts into tears when he learns about the familial connection between himself and Downie. It is a very intimate reading experience as well as an always informative one.

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