Daniel Mason
A Far Country by Daniel Mason is a slow-moving novel in which Isabel, a young girl in a drought-ridden, remote village of an unnamed country, journeys to the city to find her missing brother, Isaias. The novel unfolds from Isabel’s perspective. Only fourteen years old, Isabel navigates the hazardous trip alone, arriving at her cousin’s home in the “settlements.” She is the care-giver of her cousin’s baby during the week while her cousin works as a maid. Eventually, Isabel finds work during the weekends as a flag waver. But all the while, she thinks of finding Isaias.
The novel’s strength lies in its descriptive details. Mason immerses the reader in the sights, sounds, and smells of the drought-ridden village. He shows the desperation and hunger of the villagers who resort to eating earth to quell hunger. He depicts Isabel’s journey to the city in palpable detail. And from there he describes the sights, sounds, and smells of the settlement of New Eden, which is little more than a shanty town on the outskirts of the city. Here Isabel is exposed to exploitation, harassment, violent crime, and a different type of poverty.
Although Mason is successful in establishing atmosphere and recording details, the novel has a distinctly allegorical feel. There is an abstract quality to it which extends to the characters, none of whom emerge as fully realized or authentic. Isabel becomes a type, a sort of “everygirl.” She represents the poor, the disenfranchised, the rural populations who leave their villages and are forced to navigate unfamiliar territory in an urban environment that is at once frightening and alien. What potential conflicts or tensions she encounters fizzle out and disappear with no follow-up. She alternates between searching for Isaias or passively waiting for him to appear at the doorstep.
The slow narrative pace, the under developed characters, and the distancing effect of the style are a departure for Mason which makes this not as rewarding a read as his other novels.