More rereading, this time Richard Russo gets the benefit (or, perhaps I ought to say that I get the benefit of Richard Russo? Anyway:) Mohawk is a tale of small-town USA which grabs you and stays with you. Russo makes the people of Mohawk come alive in a way that makes their lives and actions instantly recognisable on a human level. Reading Russo is always very pleasant and quite unpleasant at the same time. The story ambles along, making for a pleasant read, but once you stop to think you have absorbed something about humankind and society which is not entirely pleasant to consider – there is something about being trapped and of destiny being predetermined, but there is also a sense of goodwill towards people in general, even the most pathetic are portrayed in a not entirely unsympatetic manner.