Why people recommend it
Crossing to Safety by Wallace Stegner is a critically acclaimed novel that explores the enduring, decades-long friendship between two couples navigating the complexities of marriage, academic life, and personal ambition. On The Book Review podcast on July 18, 2024, host Pamela Paul recommended the novel, sharing that she had unexpectedly started reading it during a brief ski vacation in Vermont without realizing the narrative itself begins in that very state. In a separate episode of The Book Review on July 18, 2024, Pamela Paul observed that Wallace Stegner is often perceived as occupying a tier just below the most widely recognized giants of American literature, despite the strong sales and critical success of both Crossing to Safety and Angle of Repose. Guest A.O. Scott expanded on the book during the same episode, explaining that the narrative structure doubles down on the theme of partnership because it meticulously details the lives of two married couples, drawing heavily on Stegner's own relationship with his wife Mary and their close friends. Pamela Paul also noted that when she previously discussed Crossing to Safety on the podcast, she received a significant volume of enthusiastic letters from listeners sharing their deep admiration for Stegner's work.
Who recommended it
- Pamela Paul Recommended
- AO Scott Discussed
Pamela Paul — 3 mentions
“Wallace star feels like in many people's minds like a tiar below that people know of Wallace stegner they know the title usually angle of repose and cring to safety both books that sold very well as in addition to being critical successes”
“When I talked about stagner Crossing to safety on the podcast a few weeks ago I got a lot of letters from listeners you know enthusing about stegnar”
“in February during a a very brief 4-day ski vacation to Vermont I read a book that I didn't realize at the time begins in Vermont and that is Wallace stegner's Crossing to safety”
AO Scott — 1 mention
“and in Crossing to safety that that's kind of doubled because it's a story of two marriages and of the friendship between two married couples also based on stegner and his own wife Mary and very close friends of theirs”
Also mentioned in the same episodes
- A shooting star
- All the little live things
- Angle of repose
- Conversations With Friends
- Entangled Life
- Free to Be You
Other mentions (1: passing, ad reads, own books)
“there's a book that I just finished which I'll talk about in a later episode Wallace stegner's Crossing to safety”