Damnation Spring by Ash Davidson

I picked Damnation Spring by Ash Davidson up on a whim from the library, simply because its cover is gorgeous. It was sat on a display right by the back wall and something about it sung to me. Looks aside, I was soon pleasantly surprised by this eco-literary fiction. Damnation Spring is Davidson’s debut and it is a great one: told from the perspectives of a family in crisp and refreshing prose, it unravels the story of a community that has made a living felling California’s redwoods for generations.

The Blurb

An epic, immersive debut, Damnation Spring is the deeply human story of a Pacific Northwest logging town wrenched in two by a mystery that threatens to derail its way of life.

For generations, Rich Gundersen’s family has chopped a livelihood out of the redwood forest along California’s rugged coast. Now Rich and his wife, Colleen, are raising their own young son near Damnation Grove, a swath of ancient redwoods on which Rich’s employer, Sanderson Timber Co., plans to make a killing. In 1977, with most of the forest cleared or protected, a grove like Damnation—and beyond it 24-7 Ridge—is a logger’s dream.

The Review

In many ways, Damnation Spring feels like my very beloved The Overstory.

There’s a captivating cast of characters, a family saga feel and a really beautifully evocative forest-centred backdrop. Davidson works her way right into the intricacies of family life too – Rich, Colleen and Chub Gunderson are brought to life through their intricate thoughts and dialogue, and it feels immersive and believably real.

Rich is a logger, like his father before him, and his grandfather before them. It’s treacherous, hard work, and he hopes for a better future for his family. His wife, Colleen, is desperate for another child, a sibling for Chub, after enduring multiple miscarriages – but they don’t talk about that anymore. When Rich is offered the chance to acquire a plot of life-securing timber, he is enthralled at the opportunity. But the Gunderson family are barely speaking, drifting further apart by the day.

This is a quiet and slow-paced book, set in a small town, which might not be for everyone. For me, however, it was perfect. I adore unassuming, understated narratives where the plot unravels slowly but surely (then all at once). There’s a wondrous balance of prose and dialogue, bringing the family and setting to life, and it feels cinematic in a way.