The story spans 3 generations, beginning in 1938 when newlyweds Eveline and Emil move from the city to a remote cabin in northern Minnesota, living without modern comforts. They have a son, Hux, but soon after, Emil travels to Germany to see his dying father. His return is delayed when war breaks out. Eveline decides to stay in the cabin instead of going to the city and living with her parents until Emil's return. That fateful decision, and a crime that occurs, ripples down through the generations, causing lasting changes for the characters.

Rasmussen writes beautiful prose and her sense of place made the location as much of a character in the novel as were the characters themselves. The story has a fable-like tone and feel to it, somewhat reminicent of The Snow Child. Told in 4 parts, each section leaps ahead many years, as we see the after-effects of Eveline's decision. The fate of some characters is told only through the narrative of the following generation. Those who like a linear plot may find this troublesome but once I was caught up in the story I adapted quickly, although I would have liked more detail concerning some of the characters. There is a lot of sadness, but also hope, as these characters, many broken by circumstances beyond their control, try to find peace and happiness. The friendship between Eveline and the quirky but big-hearted LuLu was probably my favorite part. ( )

Evergreen, a tale of three generations in the pristine forest lands of Minnesota, spans the decades between the late 1930s and early 1960s. Newlyweds Eveline and Emil move from town into a cabin in the woods to begin their idyllic life together. When her husband is called away to the bedside of his ailing father in Germany, Eveline and her young son, Hux, remain in the cabin against Emil’s wishes. Eveline is raped by a stranger pretending to be an employee of the company that will be bringing electricity to the area. Almost as soon as the child is born, Eveline leaves her at the Catholic orphanage in town. As an adult, Hux tracks down his half-sister and tries to help her overcome the trauma of her abandonment.

A genre-defying read, Evergreen has a strong allegorical flavour to me. The natural environment is important to the characters. It provides healing, sustenance and in a way, companionship. Even into the 1960s, Hux chooses to live as his parents did. Implicit in the interaction of the main characters with the remote forest setting is that stewardship we owe to nature; plants and animals, we are all “riders on the earth” as Archibald MacLeish said. Reading Evergreen I was reminded of Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring which was first published in 1962. Carson was one of the first big hitters in ecology and we have yet to fully heed her warning call. I think the metaphor of rape in Rebecca Rasmussen’s story was another strong call to stop taking by force and destroying what is not ours.

Evergreen’s stylized characters may take a little getting used to but the effort is repaid in lyrical prose and serious content.

8 out of 10 Recommended to readers of rural and historical American fiction ( )

In 1938, Eveline and her new husband Emil leave their small town to make a home in the wilds of Minnesota, scarcely prepared for the changes they will meet. The couple lives a quiet and happy life with their new son Hux until Emil is called to care for his ailing father in Germany. Determined to show her strength, Eveline chooses to stay in Evergreen while Emil is away; a decision that will permanently alter her life.

Evergreen is told in four parts that span most of the twentieth century, from Eveline and Emil in 1938 through generations of their family in the 1970′s. The story is one that should be experienced alongside Eveline, with little knowledge of the plot before hand, as Rasmussen excels at fully immersing readers in her novel. Within the first few chapters, Evergreen becomes a real place with distinct textures, smells and identifiable locations. Rasmussen carries her characters, and their descendants, through the next several decades with an admirable blend of tranquil atmosphere and demanding pace.

Though some of the pieces fit together too neatly, particularly in the final section of the novel, the journey of Evergreen is a beautiful one. Rebecca Rasmussen shares the lifetime of a family, from its wavering first steps to its last moments of forgiveness, with all of the moments of grace, strength and heartache in between.

More at rivercityreading.com ( )

The writer takes you on a journey of sadness, survival, and healing when one tragic event changes the lives of three generations of a family. Evergreen is an intimate and heart-wrenching portrait of this family.

The unique characters were a bit quirky and somewhat eccentric, but for the most part I enjoyed them all. I loved the wilderness setting in Minnesota, but I must say I felt the living conditions were a bit primitive for this time frame – my only negative comment. This is a deeply sad story and brought to life by Rebecca Rasmussen’s beautiful descriptive writing. A riveting story by an amazing author, indeed! My rating is 4+ stars. ( )

Beautifully written and thoughtful bittersweet family saga spanning three generations and thirty-plus years.

In 1939 newlyweds Emil and Eveline Lemay Sturm settle in rural northern Minnesota, in a rude log cabin near the village of Evergreen. Emil, a German immigrant and taxidermist by trade, receives a letter from his sister concerning his dying father. In the meantime, they have a son, Huxley, nicknamed Hux. Eveline decides rather than go back and live with her parents in the big city while Emil is away to stay on the land, eke out her existence, with the aid of her now best frienda neighbor across the river, the eccentric, mannish but big-hearted Lulu with husband and son, Gunther. While Eveline's husband is away, the too-trusting Eveline is raped; from that union comes a daughter. Eveline surrenders her to an orphanage, not knowing how horrible a place it is, run by the sadistic and twisted Sister Cordelia. [I don't think I'll look at [King Lear] in the same way again.] The little girl, now named Naamah, suffers under dreadful conditions, and leaves the orphanage at fourteen. Hux, having been told by his dying mother about the girl [now woman], searches for her and brings her back with him. She's become almost feral and bears mental scars of her life in the orphanage. The story comes full circle with the destinies of each played out.

Very good characterization of each in the story, but sometimes I thought the pacing was off. A character would be introduced by name only, then much further on would be an explanation of who that person was and some description. This was annoying; it happened mostly in the latter third of the story. For instance, what happened to Emil while he was trapped in Germany while the Nazis were gaining territory? This was not explained until the last third of the novel. As far as the scenes: I could see and smell the pine forests and feel the winter chill of rural Minnesota. The story treated themes of the power of love [both real and false], friendship, forgiveness. ( )