This multi-perspective narrative, both sharp and tender, embarks on a journey to define the elusive “North American family.” Like the Sufi parable of the blind men and the elephant, the definition shifts based on perspective. Each character grapples with their place, and even those seemingly secure find themselves destabilized by the unease of others. This instability shapes the lives of the Hungates and Harrisons, neighboring families and subjects of this insightful, mock field guide.
Set on Long Island, the narrative unveils young love and tragedy. The “plot,” revealed through fragmented confessions in short, prose-poem-like paragraphs, gradually coalesces into a novella. This story feels like a slowly rotating accretion disk, revealing glimpses while concealing the whole.
The author encourages flexible reading. Readers can proceed linearly, utilize thematic codes (like “adulthood” or “privacy”) to connect dots, or jump randomly. Regardless, the core story remains. However, different reading orders may evoke varied sympathies and antipathies, highlighting that a family is defined by the telling of its tale. This echoes the quantum aspect, where observation shapes reality.
This edition features photographs from nearly fifty contemporary photographers, each loosely illustrating the adjacent installment. These visuals add another layer to the narrative, prompting deeper reflection on the themes explored.
Hallberg employs gritty prose reminiscent of Frank Stanford’s poetry, emphasizing the quiet implosion of his characters. This raw honesty allows the reader to connect with their struggles on a visceral level.
“You’d seen him when they wheeled him in, you would have said forty-eight hours, or maybe seventy-two at the outside. Even under the sheet on the gurney, you could tell from the way the fluids had begun to seep, like the way grease from a cheesesteak will turn the bag almost clear where it has soaked through.” (from “LOVE”)
This quote encapsulates the brutal honesty and unflinching gaze the book casts upon life and death within the family unit.
“That became their thing, I guess, because sometimes after practice, when the locker room had emptied out, I would catch a glimpse of her all alone in the shower stall, with these wild designs all done in marker on the hidden spaces of her abdomen, the ones that don’t show when your clothes are on.” (from “INTIMACY”)
This passage hints at the secrets and unspoken desires that simmer beneath the surface of seemingly normal relationships.
“The pantheon of name-brand pharmaceuticals, like poets of a dead tongue: Valium, Lithium, Xanax and Zoloft, Paxil and Prozac. Allegra, Viagra, Claritin, Clarinex, Retsin and Ritalin. The shelf in the medicine chest stuffed with Eli Lilly, GlaxoSmithKline, AstraZeneca. The horizons huffing opens up: gasoline, whipped cream, permanent markers, airplane glue and airbrush propellant. (from “CHEMISTRY”)
This litany of drugs highlights the prevalence of chemical coping mechanisms and the search for escape within the modern family dynamic. The inclusion of household chemicals further underscores the accessibility and potential for misuse. This points to a larger commentary on American culture.
The fractured narrative, pieced together like scattered yarrow stalks, reveals a dark truth illuminated by fleeting moments of beauty. Hallberg allows the darkness to exist, creating space for the reader’s mind to wander, breathe, and fear. It is in these places that resemblance can spark cathartic, albeit unsettling, reflections. “A Field Guide To The North American Family” is not a comfortable read, but it is a necessary one. It forces us to confront the complexities and contradictions inherent in the very concept of family. By refusing to offer easy answers, it invites us to engage in a deeper, more meaningful exploration of our own relationships and the societal forces that shape them. It is an exploration of intimacy, loss, connection, and the enduring human search for meaning in a world that often feels chaotic and uncertain. It’s a journey into the heart of what it means to be a family in contemporary North America.
