Book Review: At the Edge of the Woods by Kathryn Bromwich

By Maryssa Paulsen

At the Edge of the Woods, published June 6, 2023 by Two Dollar Radio

The debut novel by Kathryn Bromwich, At the Edge of the Woods, was published in June of 2023 by Two Dollar Radio—a small Ohioan press dedicated to publishing books ‘too loud to ignore.’ The novel follows a woman named Laura, who navigates her newfound freedom by retreating to the forest of the Italian Alps. 

Laura settles into a cabin that comes with its own dark history, and, through her deepening connection to nature and self, she acclimates to her new reality; she walks through the forest daily, earns her living, and tends to her garden. Balancing a desire to belong and avoiding wary neighbors by embarking on fewer and fewer trips to the village, Laura’s ever-shrinking impact on Earth requires little resources and her desire to be around other humans is dwindling. As Laura lives less in her body and more in her head, her sensory-drenched understanding of time and slipping grasp of reality mirrors the disorientation she must feel on the inside; to live at the edge of the woods is to live in two worlds. 

Paced by an author coping with illness and isolation, Laura’s story builds ever-ascendingly and is layered with eerily recognizable coping mechanisms, meditative narration, and beautiful prose. In under 200 pages, the author guides the reader on a trip through something like a dream, hypnosis, or differing states of consciousness, leaving it up to the reader to discern the truth, meaning, and concept of time and reality in this story. 

I must agree with Two Dollar Radio—At the Edge of the Woods is a story too loud to ignore. Much like Laura bears witness to the rhythm and wonders of nature, At the Edge of the Woods readers bear witness to a woman courting the depths of identity, selfhood, isolation, connection, and self-acceptance. In the weeks after turning its final pages, I find myself wondering about Laura and acclimating to my own reality by taking mindful walks, reading philosophically, and listening to what nature has to share with me.

I sincerely look forward to reading more from both Kathryn Bromwich and Two Dollar Radio!