abauer's review against another edition
4.0
A slice of life novel set in the 1890s Blue Mountains of Oregon, The Jump-Off Creek chronicles Lydia Sanderson's first nine months on her newly-purchased homestead. Contrary to the description, the book covers multiple perspectives, mainly that of Lydia and her neighbors Tim Whiteaker and Blue Odell. It's very much a character-driven novel, and despite a certain lack of emotional depth, I was very invested in the characters. And because it's a "slice of life" novel with a seemingly arbitrary beginning and ending, I wanted more at the end. Overall, I enjoyed it. It's an easy read, and it offered a detailed and interesting historical perspective that I don't often read.
karissakate's review against another edition
2.0
I appreciate the writing style of this book, but it just wasn't for me. I just couldn't get engaged with the characters like I wanted to.
hmuraski27's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
jan2bratt's review against another edition
4.0
Loved the sparse prose and setting of this book. Very harsh lives these people live, the author does not pretty things up, does not romanticize the story. Love reading about it but wouldn't want to actually have to live this way!
bobbo49's review against another edition
4.0
A beautifully written story of a single woman struggling to homestead in the mountains of eastern Oregon in the late 1800s. The writing captures perfectly the incredible challenges of mere survival, let alone accomplishment, as the rugged west was being settled. Excellent book club read.
nghia's review against another edition
4.0
I was fairly equivocal about Anna North's [b:Outlawed|50997696|Outlawed|Anna North|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1588469822l/50997696._SY75_.jpg|70941655] alt-history, post-apocalyptic, Western meets Handmaid's Tale story. But I saw another lukewarm reviewer mention [a:Molly Gloss|265964|Molly Gloss|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1479729755p2/265964.jpg] and [a:Paulette Jiles|70102|Paulette Jiles|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1346771427p2/70102.jpg] as better "feminist Westerns" (though without the speculative fiction twist) so I decided to give both of them a try in an effort to broaden my reading a bit.
...And I really liked The Jump-Off Creek!
This is low-key, almost plot-less, slice-of-life about homesteaders in very remote Oregon circa 1895. It is primarily centered on a single woman, Lydia Sanderson, who is recently widowed and has had enough of being tied to a man and craves a life of her own. She uses her entire, meager, life savings to buy a very marginal homestead and makes a go of it on her own.
Somewhere or other, it mention that Molly Gloss based a lot of this on unpublished diaries of actual women homesteaders in Oregon. And it feels quite a lot like a set of diary entries. There's not really a big plot or character arc. Yes, Lydia's life isn't easy but this isn't a story of her struggle and eventual triumph making a homestead, discovering herself along the way.
The closest thing to a "plot" is the simmering confrontation between her closest neighbors (Tim & Blue) and some wolfers (people who hunt wolfs for the state-sponsored bounty), which doesn't actually affect Lydia in any way whatsoever.
Instead we mostly get a series of vignettes about homesteading by Lydia, Tim, and Blue. It is all pretty interesting and makes crystal clear how hard scrabble life was for many homesteaders. That part is all very interesting but what really drew me in was how Gloss made clear that all of these people are...pretty uncomfortable being around other people. There's kind of a reason they're all homesteaders in the middle of nowhere.
Nearly all of the characters are not distant and awkward with one another...they are distant and awkward with their own feelings. Tim & Blue have worked and lived together for 20 years but in many ways barely know one another. The book is full of their terse conversations, rarely more than a handful of words exchanged, and never about anything other than the work of staying alive in a hard frontier.
There's one scene late in the book that shows this exquisitely. Tim & Blue have a pair of dogs that it is clear they care about. One of the dogs is dying, slowly, either poisoned or sick. Blue brings it to Lydia on the hope that maybe she can do something. She can't and the two of them watch the dog slowly, painfully, die.
Even here, Blue is so stoic it almost hurts your heart. You wish you could give him a hug.
...And I really liked The Jump-Off Creek!
This is low-key, almost plot-less, slice-of-life about homesteaders in very remote Oregon circa 1895. It is primarily centered on a single woman, Lydia Sanderson, who is recently widowed and has had enough of being tied to a man and craves a life of her own. She uses her entire, meager, life savings to buy a very marginal homestead and makes a go of it on her own.
I shall not see Mrs Mailer nor perhaps any woman, at least until the Fall if I am still alive then and able to come out for my Winter’s nec. But I am used to being Alone, in spirit if not in body, and shall not be Lonely, as I never have been inclined that way.
Somewhere or other, it mention that Molly Gloss based a lot of this on unpublished diaries of actual women homesteaders in Oregon. And it feels quite a lot like a set of diary entries. There's not really a big plot or character arc. Yes, Lydia's life isn't easy but this isn't a story of her struggle and eventual triumph making a homestead, discovering herself along the way.
The closest thing to a "plot" is the simmering confrontation between her closest neighbors (Tim & Blue) and some wolfers (people who hunt wolfs for the state-sponsored bounty), which doesn't actually affect Lydia in any way whatsoever.
She counted ridges, guessing out where the Jump-Off Creek cut its gully. But from here there were no marks of human society, the trees owned the world.
Instead we mostly get a series of vignettes about homesteading by Lydia, Tim, and Blue. It is all pretty interesting and makes crystal clear how hard scrabble life was for many homesteaders. That part is all very interesting but what really drew me in was how Gloss made clear that all of these people are...pretty uncomfortable being around other people. There's kind of a reason they're all homesteaders in the middle of nowhere.
She had been months encountering people singly or by twos: her heart turned over when she saw there were already six men or seven standing about in the yard as she rode the mule slowly up the narrow track off the Oberfield Road.
Nearly all of the characters are not distant and awkward with one another...they are distant and awkward with their own feelings. Tim & Blue have worked and lived together for 20 years but in many ways barely know one another. The book is full of their terse conversations, rarely more than a handful of words exchanged, and never about anything other than the work of staying alive in a hard frontier.
There's one scene late in the book that shows this exquisitely. Tim & Blue have a pair of dogs that it is clear they care about. One of the dogs is dying, slowly, either poisoned or sick. Blue brings it to Lydia on the hope that maybe she can do something. She can't and the two of them watch the dog slowly, painfully, die.
He [ed: Blue] kept looking at the dog with no particular feeling in his face. “Well then if you don’t mind, I’ll let him stay where he is until there’s a change.”
Even here, Blue is so stoic it almost hurts your heart. You wish you could give him a hug.
toniapeckover's review against another edition
4.0
Spot on, spare narrative about an 1800's woman homesteading alone in a run-down cabin on Jump-Off Creek.
bloodonthetracks's review against another edition
5.0
I think it’s very easy to dismiss the craftsmanship, artistry and sheer amount of research that has gone into The Jump-Off Creek unless you really look at the prose.
It’s short, succinct, and to the point, which feels very reflective of the attitude of the cowboys and pioneers written about. This is also reflected in the dialogue; often not much is said but the body language is described in detail, with the characters often giving away how they’re feeling to each other with their actions and expressions rather than their words. Simple gestures have a huge meaning, whether it’s a firm handshake or the offering of coffee.
It’s very honest and real in the pioneer experience, with no indulgent language dressing it up; the harsh conditions of life are presented immaculately by Gloss. The descriptions of their actions and experiences felt as long as the actions themselves - nothing was rushed and every detail was attended to. There’s no big event or plot driving the narrative, which aided the realism of the storytelling of a year or so in the life of a cowboy/pioneer.
All of this built an incredibly rich world of characters that felt real and deeper than even the reader or the characters themselves knew. I grew to love Lydia, Blue and Evelyn in particular.
I was uncertain what I was going to rate The Jump-Off Creek, but after I sat back and really reflected upon what I have read, it became very clear to me what a fantastic book it is.
It’s short, succinct, and to the point, which feels very reflective of the attitude of the cowboys and pioneers written about. This is also reflected in the dialogue; often not much is said but the body language is described in detail, with the characters often giving away how they’re feeling to each other with their actions and expressions rather than their words. Simple gestures have a huge meaning, whether it’s a firm handshake or the offering of coffee.
It’s very honest and real in the pioneer experience, with no indulgent language dressing it up; the harsh conditions of life are presented immaculately by Gloss. The descriptions of their actions and experiences felt as long as the actions themselves - nothing was rushed and every detail was attended to. There’s no big event or plot driving the narrative, which aided the realism of the storytelling of a year or so in the life of a cowboy/pioneer.
All of this built an incredibly rich world of characters that felt real and deeper than even the reader or the characters themselves knew. I grew to love Lydia, Blue and Evelyn in particular.
I was uncertain what I was going to rate The Jump-Off Creek, but after I sat back and really reflected upon what I have read, it became very clear to me what a fantastic book it is.
emily_britton's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
I really enjoyed this book, as much as one can enjoy a book about a miserable existence -- spoiler alert, it doesn't get better -- my biggest complaint is that it was too short.
kayleenorris's review against another edition
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
3.25