Finishing this on the day I started it wasn't only partly because it was only 200 pages, but more attributable to these beloved characters and Hassler's lovely prose. This is now my tenth Jon Hassler novel and un the recent reads by Binchy and Tyler, Hassler did not disappoint at all. There were just very brief passages within where he was recapping the lives of characters in the first Staggerford novel and those in subsequent tales.

The oh so unforgettable Lottie and Leland mad a return visit and of course French Lopat but otherwise with new and old characters he pulled together a complete story with its own emotional currents, no pun intended. Hassler's tale of seven women stranded in Agatha McGee's old house as the Bad Battle River floods the town over the course of a week is very compact and I mean that as a compliment. Hassler knits together the pieces of memories and background threads in with the current interactions with nary a stray strand in his gorgeous whole cloth.

It has been five years since his last novel "The Dean's List" and worth the wait, and if in his semi-retirement he decides this will be his last, well it is a lovely little tale to let linger behind him. Leaving the redoubtable Agnes McGee feeling younger by being useful is a good place to leave things. contemporary fond-favorite2 s Charlie57

I thought I had read all of Hassler's books, but was delighted to find this one at a library book sale.

This short novel brings together eight women from high school age to their 80's who stay together during a flood. They are quirky, outlandishly flawed, and start out having no idea what they mean to each other.

It's hard to explain the attraction they have for me, but at my age - 70 - I have old friends and new friends and in between that mean so much to me. Yet they can irritate me, as Lillian frustrates Agatha; I would lie for them and the place they love, as Agatha does for Dort and Calista; I cherish them as Agatha does Janet and Beverly; and I admire and welcome new friends, as Agatha does Linda. Sara, as Janet's daughter, is an outlier of sorts, while only Imogene stays on the outside, because she is afraid to care for others.

What a joy to find the right book at the right time. 1 Daniel2,528 38

This book did not hold nearly the charm that the first Staggerford book held. It could be that the first book definitely seemed to have a driving purpose, but the only purpose for this book seemed to be to get some characters from previous books together. And while it does this, there seems to be nothing happening once they are together.

Except...the only thing that actually happens (other than the flood) is that Agatha tells a whopper of a lie (for good reason, of course). This seems totally out of character, and while Hassler does have Agatha dwell over it, it never sits right -- not the Agatha that he established in early Staggerford books!

It certainly wouldn't have hurt if I had missed this book.1 Jennifer Hughes856 35

A disappointing sequel in what is a wonderful series in my memory. I had a hard time being motivated to even finish. The characters are flat, the plot boring. Details that are seemingly important are dropped later. It felt Jon Hassler had to come up with a way to keep paying his mortgage, so he thought he'd try to cash in once more on his original beloved series. Sorry, it just didn't work. 1 Katie91 3

I put off reading this because it is the second last and I can't bear the thought of finishing them. It was just wonderful. Nothing much happens, but it is a wonderful exploration of people, old friends, relationships. 1 Randall J.Author 10 books20

Continuity error upon continuity error in this. Seems a book written for Hassler fans and yet his timeline of events is so all over the place, it actually ruins the reading experience. Beyond that, a pleasant, largely forgettable novel. Not nearly on par with Hassler's best work.1 Bayneeta2,284 13

Disappointing fourth book in Hassler's Staggerford series. Plot is thin and too many characters pass through this very short novel. Agatha behaves out of character.fiction summer-2010-book-discussion1 Joe Stack767 6

To paraphrase one of the characters in this book, this is a heartwarming, pleasant, joyful story built on sketches of multiple characters, people we know in real life. This is also a story where the reader is in on a secret that is made instead of being a plot revelation. The dialogue by and between characters is what Hassler does so well. It can be quirky, unique, mundane, ordinary, rambling, and all quite real. This also describes the characters. Some of the characters talk a subject to death and the main character, Agatha, has "a pathological relationship to language," which is evident when she corrects characters and when she puts another character in their place. One of my favorite characters in this story, Howie, rants over and over about the use of fancy words instead of simpler words, such as, why say "deceased" instead of "dead." I enjoy Hassler's writing and humor, such as this excerpt which gives you - if you haven't read stories by Hassler - an idea of his writing: "I was reading a novel last night and came across a statement to the effect that morality is not necessarily something to base human behavior on." / "Who would write such an irresponsible thing? Hemingway, I suppose." / "A British woman named Penelope Fitzgerald." / "The English aren't to be trusted." Jlnpeacock Peacock724

The novel deals with 8 women who find themselves together in one house for a period of 4 days while a flood raged about them. There was no great crisis and not great action, but the book was quite satisfying in dealing with the various aspects of personalities of two small communities and how each handled the difficulties. Nancy BanduskyAuthor 4 books10

I found an advanced reader copy from years ago and recently read it. This is an enjoyable novel involving an elderly lady, a bunch of friends, and a flood that traps them together. I particularly d the religion that was interspersed throughout the story. Judy Evenson888 8

I understand JH is a well recognized MN author but this read a 1950s newspaper post as to who went to whose house for Sunday dinner. A bit garrison keilor but without the humor. Won't be recommending it to others Lynne727

What a joy to read a Jon Hassler novel again!fiction Becky209 5

A quaint story about flood survivors staying in a house on the highest hill in their small little town. Great characters. JP80 1 follower

Wasn't as good as other Hassler novels, but not bad. Sondra107 7


I'm a sucker for natural disaster stories, and so, when I saw the title and the cover image of a farmhouse perched on high ground amidst rising floodwaters, I was immediately intrigued. Clearly, this is meant to be a character-driven novel, using a 100-year flood as a backdrop while residents of a small town in rural Minnesota bond with one another while taking refuge from a historic flood at the home of one of the town's most venerable elderly citizens. Over four days and nights, trapped inside the home, the characters are forced to get along with one another despite past conflicts and misunderstandings that are revealed through dialogue and interior monologue.

As I kept reading, however, I found myself wanting to know more about the flood and less about the chracters.

From the beginning, the author does a good job of building suspense, as each time the narrator Agatha looks out the window of her home, she sees the floodwaters rising, first covering the street below, then the sidewalk in front of her home, until finally the water is lapping at her doorstep. I kept waiting for some crisis to occur that would finally test the mettle of the characters trapped inside Agatha's Victorian home, but every time the reader's attention is drawn to the flood, the author quickly draws it back again to the petty concerns of the characters (including those of Agatha herself, but I'll get to that later). In the right hands, this can be a very effective suspense-building technique. In this case, however, there is no payoff. On the third (or was it the fourth?) morning Agatha looks out her window to find that the floodwaters have begun to recede, just that, without so much as wetting the living room carpet, while Agatha's houseguests all breathe a sigh of relief and begin preparations to return to what is left of their own homes.

I do appreciate Agatha's generosity in opening her home to those less fortunate citizens who have been or are about to be flooded out of their homes, but other than that I found little to about her. It puzzles me that a woman her age brave and strong enough to care for these flood victims would be riddled with remorse over her deception concerning the death of the postmistress, to the point where even the local priest turns his back on her.

I do give the author credit for his skillful use of dialogue. Much of the backstory is revealed entirely through dialogue rather than exposition, which is a talent even some of our most celebrated authors seem to lack. I also give the author credit for his willingness to cover some of the dark undercurrents of small town life in middle America---albeit on a very superficial level---such as domestic abuse, divorce, drug and alcohol addiction, old age and loneliness. Richard518

This novel is apparently, the latest in a series of novels by Hassler about a fictional town in Minnesota. It reads sort of something that Garrison Kiellor might say in his tales of Lake Woebegone. An eighty year old lady, Agatha, lives in a large house on the highest point in Staggerford. A spring flood inundates much of the town. Agatha invites some old friends and some new friends into her house to wait for the waters to fall. Everyone mentioned in the story is a character. Eight women in the house for 4 days. There are things that are discussed before the flood and things that are mentioned after the flood. This book is kind of a chick flick. It was ok but not my favorite kind of book. The central theme (in my mind) is that kindness rubs off and affects other people, which I believe it does. Everyone loves Agatha because she love people. Much of the story is humorous as it discusses the frailties of people. The book is written by a male but most of the males in the book are dorks or dummies.

Florence Primrose1,544 7

Agatha, an elderly woman, has hardly been out of her house in Staggerford six months due to poor health. But, Staggerford is hit by a huge flood and only Agatha's house on high ground isn't flooded. So, Lucille, her former neighbor, who comes daily, her unhappy unpleasant daughter, Imogene, plus Beverly who lived with Agatha in high school come to stay. Also coming is her young friend, Janet, and her daughter, Sara, the new funeral director and Calista from a neighboring town. Although Agatha becomes very involved with her house guests, she is glad when the flood goes down. But she has a new lease on life and four years later decides to have a reunion party.

This is a delightful story about small town in Minnesota. John764 26

An unprecedented flood immobilizes a northern Minnesota town (this sounds strangely familiar). Only the house belonging to 80-year-old Agatha McGee, Jon Hassler's most enduring character, is high enough to avoid being flooded by the Badbattle River. Agatha provides a refuge for seven other women, ranging from a teenager to a couple of her fellow senior citizens.
I hope if I'm ever stranded by a flood with seven other people they'll be more interesting than the characters in this book.
"The Staggerford Flood" almost seems to be an epilogue to Hassler's earlier Staggerford novels, but it lacks the wit and sparkle of those earlier visits.
Rick197 21

You're familiar with the concept. Some event, in this case a flood, forces a diverse group of folks to spend several days together and this time causes them to bond, share secrets, and grow. Only, in this book, the bonding is questionable, there were very few secrets to share and none that were interesting, and the growth was negligible. Moreover, not only were most of the characters uninteresting, several were just plain unlikable for no apparent reason. It's possible that if I had read any of the other books in this series first, I might have a better understanding of the characters and greater sympathy towards them, but I don't think so. Thank goodness it was a quick read. Joan453 12

I all of Jon Hassler's novels. He is a smart writer with interesting characters and other than a couple of swear words, they are clean.

This book is about a flood in the town of Staggerford, Minnesota. Agatha (age 80) has a home that is built on a higher plain than all the other homes around her, so when the flood comes her home is the safe one. She ends up with a myriad of characters who move in with her for a few days until they can get back to their own homes. Each of these characters has a story to tell and they are all done with wit, humor, frustration and love.
Amberlee79

Cute book, but not much of a climax. Very fun characters - I especially loved Agatha.

"Eating supper, surrounded by her seven guests, she was warmed by the feeling of pajama-party exuberance that had overtaken her."

"Do you suppose I'll be condemned to hell for one sin? I'm counting on God's being more merciful than that."

Lyn Dahlstrom410 2

This is a nice continuation of the character of Agatha McGee and friends. Recommended mostly for those who have read earlier Staggerford books, who will very much enjoy this new one. I would give it 3.5 stars if I could. Claudia347

This is a quick and relaxing read with a multitude of characters and stories. Once again, after finishing a book, I learn it is a sequel. I suspect it would have been easier to keep all the characters straight if I had read the previous books in the series. Deb966 25

A little lighter than some of his others. Very good. mn-authors Sarah340

This shorter novel concerned story more than character, and while I enjoyed it I did not love it. Maureen M549 19

I picked this up at the library the week after Hassler died and read it and North of Hope in a week or so. I loved them and regretted not having read more of his work in his lifetime. minnesota Marcella Johnson62 4

I read this book years ago, but I remember it being a "feel good" story. Nancy277 3

When a natural disaster threatens Hassler's fictitious town of Staggerford, octegenarian Agatha McGee ends up offering shelter to a number of the town residents when their own homes are flooded out. Karenmort Mort3 1 follower

An ok book... Terry1,570

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