Country People by Daniel Mason
Country People
by Daniel Mason
Literary Fiction
320 Pages
Released July 2026
Rating: ★★★ 1/2
Goodreads
Content Warnings
This was my first Daniel Mason novel and it was
This book follows Miles, a man who is haunted by his Ph.D. in Russian Folktales (which is 12 years overdue) because he keeps changing the topic. Miles is also a kind husband and doting father, frequently telling his children fun bedtime stories of his own invention. The whole family has just relocated to Vermont, where his wife has accepted a visiting professorship. Determined to turn over a new leaf, Miles embraces Vermont, and all it’s interesting inhabitants.
Goodness, I don’t even know where to start with this one. First of all, it is extremely character driven. It’s definitely more a slice-of-life type of book with a sprinkle of adventure thrown in. But truly, it’s the characters that shine. As Miles and his family adjust to living in Vermont, they meet a a veritable cornucopia of people living there. From “The Rat Man” to Bjorn (a ski instructor and local celebrity), each of the people that Miles meets is unique and intriguing. I say this as someone that usually isn’t a huge fan of heavily character-driven novels.
Another thing I really enjoyed about this book was the humor that was present throughout. I found myself giggling out loud at several points which is also not something I’m prone to doing. This book is funny but not aggressively or in a way that feels forced. It’s a light-hearted humor that really aligns with the slice-of-life nature of the story.
There was one aspect I found disappointing but that was due to my own misinterpretation of the plot. I thought this book would end up more in the magical realism category but it stays firmly rooted in reality, so if you’re hoping for a little bit of (literal) magic then this book may disappoint (but only a little).
Overall, it was a fun read and I really enjoyed everyone we got to meet through Miles and his family. If you enjoy character-driven books with a smidge of folklore and a decent amount of humor, I highly recommend picking this one up!