Leah Hager Cohen's "No Book but the World" is about stories, about being different, about growing up and becoming adults who now are trying to understand themselves and others close to them, past and present.

It is told, in all its parts, by Ava, who in the final few pages describes how she began, in a journal, to tell what she knew, what she remembered, how she tried to research and ask questions of other people involved. She admits she will never completely understand all the things that might have happened, but has written what she believed could have been, how others might have acted, even though she could not be sure.

Ava and her brother Freddy were raised among a small group of families, each living in their own buildings in a remote woodland that once was a school run by their parents, Neel and June. Neel founded the now closed school, believing the role of teachers was to let children roam, and to guide them only when needed. Freddy was born "different", and "difficult", maybe autistic, but never diagnosed. Ava, two years older, was often his caretaker.

As adults, Ava and Fred seldom see each other. Then Fred becomes a suspect in the death of a young boy, and Ava goes to Perdue, the town near where he has been jailed, to meet his lawyer and try to be of aid. There she begins her journal.

Each section of the book is beautifully written, even the unhappy parts. Each character, major and minor, is memorably described, both their features and their actions.

And there is a real sense of Ava remembering, trying to discover, and
trying to understand her brother, as well as the parts she and the other people around him have played in his fate. ( )

I'm sorry that I never reviewed this book, which I received as a LibraryThing Early Reviewer copy. This was an excellent novel, that was both a coming of age story and a fascinating view of an unusual family.
Having tried unschooling our children for several years myself, I had a personal interest in the subject matter, and understood the philosophy that drove the parents to raise their children in this free-spirited, unregimented way. (As it turned out, I was more like Ava, the older sister and story narrator, in that I needed more structure in my life.)
I think this book suffered from publicity that tried to make it sound like a literary thriller, but it's not written as a thriller, thus disappointing some reviewers. That's not to say there's no suspense, but it's a quieter tension than you find in a thriller or murder mystery.
If you're looking for a deeply moving story of family, with unshakeable bonds despite long estrangement, and an exploration of different ways of living, this is a novel for you. ( )

This is a well written and thought-provoking book, but as I have said before, endings must be the hardest part to write. I felt that the event at the end of the book did not fit with the rest of it. I don't think the character would have done what was presented, but that's just me (can't say more without a spoiler). Otherwise, it is a good one. ( )

This book was another unexpected surprise. If you read the synopsis, you could think this was going to be a who-dunit or a crime novel - it is not. This book is truly what literary fiction should be. Expertly written and deeply felt. Cohen's placement of words on the page is akin to a master artist's application of paint on a canvas. Oftentimes her turn of phrase would make me stop in my tracks and say "wow". It took me a bit longer to get through this book, but in retrospect this is not a novel I would have wanted to rush through. The writing is just that good that the extra time to savor Cohen's superb craftsmanship was well worth it. I will not give any spoilers away but if you do not finish this book to the very last page, you will be missing out - big time. Highly recommend. ( )

I received a free copy through Goodreads.
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This was an interesting read. I admit, it took a little bit to fully get into the story.

When something like this happens, just how far do you go in the name of family? Ava spent most of the book reflecting on all the events that eventually led up to the present time. Would it really have been better had Fred been evaluated and diagnosed with the obvious disorder that he has? Were Neel and June wrong to let their children live outside of social constraints and rules? It's all hard to say.

With no other family left, should Ava be the one to take responsibility for her brother again, after the arrangement that June had with Dave clearly did not work out? In a sense, yes and no. She did have a part in molding Fred and obviously did not provide the guidance he so sorrily needed when their parents passed away, instead she kept far away with the occasional letter and what not.

Obviously there are a lot of issues that Ava needs to work out. She presents this feeling that she thinks everyone is judging her, especially based on Fred's actions and behaviours. A lot of things are wrapped around her relationship with Fred and keeping everyone away from fully understanding Fred's obvious issues.

I wish it didn't end the way it did. By that I meant, Fred committing suicide, especially when Ava and Dennis were so close to having Fred's case tossed out of court . The ending left a heavy feeling in me, so unlike the cheery front cover of the book. ( )