Set solidly in the 1940s, '50s, and '60s, this book is about an orphan who goes throughs some really difficult life situations, always finding a way to come out on the other end. While it's got a bit of A Catcher in the Rye quality to it, I found it closer to another favorite novel of mine from half a century ago - Revolutionary Road (review here). At its core, this story is about growing older and navigating the transition from youth to adulthood and how a person comes to live the life they were given, rather than the one they once hoped for.
As you can tell from this strong rating, I really enjoyed this book. I found the story quite captivating and love books where you can enjoy a longer arc of a person's life. This story, goes back to even before the protagonist is born and runs through much of his adult life. Of course, I admired the storytelling and the great detail to really understand life in the Pacific Northwest many years ago. Whether it be the seedy pool halls that many of the scenes take place or life in prison, I found myself consistently drawn back into the book even after putting it down. I also found his writing simple but with enough depth and complexity to keep me engaged. This is a great compliment as the current style of writing for most novels has changed so much that often when you read prose from decades ago it can feel stale and slow. Not here.
Like any book there were some challenges. It's not perfect with pace and there were certainly a few parts that I wished moved a bit quicker (that being said, it's a pretty tight 336 pages). It's also a hard book to read if you're looking for happy, sweet story. It's gritty and tough and filled with lots of heartache. It has violence, sex, and alcohol and drugs. It was also written at a time, by a white writer, where language is used freely that would no longer be considered appropriate. For all those reasons, I do suggest caution to some readers.
On a whole, however, I was pleasantly surprised with how easily this read and how much I enjoyed the content of this book. Like most themes that are deeply part of the human condition, much of it comes off as timeless, and Carpenter does a great job of telling a fairly simple story in a very thoughtful way. 
