"Foggy Mountain Breakdown" by Sharyn McCrumb

I enjoyed this book of short stories very much. Sharyn McCrumb can be very amusing and very serious, and shines a light on the life of very poor Appalachian people. She has been on my radar since I read her "Bimbos of the Death Sun". I was always afraid that she couldn't duplicate the sense of humour that went into that book, but I was wrong.

"Through Black Spruce" by Joseph Boyden

At first I wasn't too sure about this book because it contains an awful lot of violence. But by the end, I would have to say that it was an enjoyable read. I liked how it handled families, friendship, overcoming hardship and tragedy. Everything came together nicely. It's cleverly written from 2 points of view. One is Annie, who is searching for her missing sister, Suzanne. The other is Will, Annie's uncle, who is in a coma. I learned a bit about the Indian way of life. It's mentioned matter-of-factly, and is integral to the plot, not at all heavy-handed.