Had the honor of being interviewed by the very thoughtful Caroline Leavitt. Here's the link!
Here's the link to the full Sierra review and here's an excerpt:
"A refreshing and honest portrait of hermitage and self-reliance, The Point of Vanishing sidesteps the clichés of the lonely pilgrim narrative. Axelrod writes in muscular, sensory prose, braiding two narratives together: life in the woods and life before the woods. One thread is a two-year-long meditation compressed into whole days that seem to pass as slowly as seasons, while the other drives the reader from college to failed romance. Throughout, the reader is grounded in the scenes and scents of the forest–chopped cords of birch and maple, a nearby apple tree, and wildflowers in the summer."
--Scott Donahue
Publishers Weekly talked with booksellers around the country about their picks for Fall Indie titles "with huge potential." And The Point of Vanishing made the list. Let's hope they're right!
Received word from Booklist that they've given The Point of Vanishing a starred review in their August issue! Here's the link ! And here's an excerpt!
“This elegant, questioning memoir...achingly limns Axelrod’s two years living alone in a ramshackle cabin in the Vermont woods. His writing—whether describing an aspect of the wilderness around him or noting the “first lesson of solitude: everything really is your fault”—is lush and savory, exact in its intent to document just how Axelrod regained the ability to feel “that quiet of already belonging.” That he allows the reader to participate in this journey, from whatever distance, is more than a pleasure—it’s an honor. A Rockefeller grant had taken Axelrod for a year to Bologna, and there he met the hauntingly beautiful Milena, and the memoir flashes between his life in the woods, avoiding even looking in a mirror in his cabin, and the love he shared and ultimately lost with Milena. By their very nature, memoirs speak of the past. Axelrod so adroitly and wisely re-creates the youngster he was that readers forget the passing of time, hearing only the voice of sorrow, longing, and determination. This memoir is a keeper, touching and eloquent, full of hard lessons learned. Readers will hope for more from first-time-author Axelrod.”
—Eloise Kinney
The Point of Vanishing received a wonderful starred review in the latest Kirkus. Here’s an excerpt:
“Axelrod lyrically captures the essence of nature as he ponders his own self-worth and purpose in life. . . . In his first book, the author pushes beyond the boundaries and safety nets of the modern world and opens a doorway to feelings and experiences many long for but never encounter. His writing is a balm for world-weary souls. A vibrant, honest, and poetic account of how two years of solitude surrounded by nature changed a man forever.”
Read the full review online!