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Summary and Reviews of The Very Long, Very Strange Life of Isaac Dahl by Bart Yates

The Very Long, Very Strange Life of Isaac Dahl by Bart Yates

The Very Long, Very Strange Life of Isaac Dahl

by Bart Yates
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  • Jul 23, 2024, 240 pages
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About This Book

Book Summary

Both sweeping and exquisitely intimate, award-winning author Bart Yates blends historical fact and fiction in a surprising, thought-provoking saga spanning 12 significant days across nearly 100 years in the life of a single man, beginning in 1920s Utah.

"Each day is a story, whether or not that story makes any damn sense or is worth telling to anyone else."

At the age of ninety-six, Isaac Dahl sits down to write his memoir. For Isaac, an accomplished journalist and historian, finding the right words to convey events is never a problem. But this book will be different from anything he has written before. Focusing on twelve different days, each encapsulated in a chapter, Isaac hopes to distill the very essence of his life.

There are days that begin like any other, only to morph through twists of fate. An avalanche strikes Bingham, Utah, and eight-year-old Isaac and his twin sister, Agnes, survive when they are trapped in an upside-down bathtub. Other days stand apart in history—including a day in 1942, when Isaac, stationed on the USS Houston in the Java Sea as a rookie correspondent, confronts the full horror of war. And there are days spent simply, with his lifelong friend, Bo, or with Danny, the younger man whose love transforms Isaac's later years—precious days with significance that grows clear only in hindsight.

From the Oklahoma Dust Bowl to a Mississippi school at the apex of the civil rights movement, Isaac tells his story with insight, wisdom, and emotional depth. The Very Long, Very Strange Life of Isaac Dahl is a wonderful, singular narrative that will spark conversation and reflection—a reminder that there is no such thing as an ordinary life, and the greatest accomplishment of all is to live and love fully.

Day One

February 17, 1926. Bingham, Utah

Each day is a story, whether or not that story makes any damn sense or is worth telling to anyone else. If you live a long time, and your memory doesn't completely crap out, you end up with enough stories to fill a library; it's nearly impossible to pick and choose a mere handful to write about—a stupid, arbitrary stricture I've been cowed into accepting by a dead bully. Why I lack the testicular fortitude to just say no is a vexing question, but what aggravates me even more is the fact that I have no idea where to start.

Okay, I'm lying.

I actually do know, but it irks me beyond belief to give Aggie the satisfaction of following her advice. That she now only exists in my head is beside the point: I'd like to maintain at least a smidgeon of autonomy in my own skull, for God's sake.

Is that so much to ask?

Sadly, in this case, it is.

You're very unattractive when you whine, Isaac.

That's what she'd say, of course, if she were still here. I ...

Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!
  1. The Very Long, Very Strange Life of Isaac Dahl has an unusual structure for a novel, skipping eight years ahead in time from one chapter to the next, with each chapter detailing a day in the life of Isaac Dahl. What did you think of this non-traditional approach?
  2. The three main characters in the book—Isaac, his twin sister, Agnes, and their best friend, Bo—have a unique bond that lasts a lifetime. Is there a particular scene that stands out for you as a good example of the closeness of their relationship?
  3. Many of the chapters in this novel are based on actual historical events, such as the 1926 avalanche in Utah, or the 1982 raising of the Mary Rose in England. What historical incident do you think affected Isaac the most? When ...
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Reviews

BookBrowse Review

BookBrowse

I found this book very poignant. I have often looked at my life reflecting on the passage of time as I have moved through history and experienced personal growth (Jolene B). It is almost guaranteed that readers will be reflecting on their own life's "moments" while reading. That was my experience and it made me wish I could coax more days' adventures from my dad who will be 100 in November! (Connie K). The characters are so well-developed that I feel as if I know them personally, and I am genuinely mourning the end of the book, as I will miss them greatly (Karna B)...continued

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(Reviewed by First Impressions Reviewers).

Media Reviews

Publishers Weekly
In Yates's sure hand, Isaac's story becomes a charming and inspiring testament to queer resilience. This will move readers.

Reader Reviews

Karna B. (Urbandale, IA)

I am genuinely mourning the end of this book
"The Very Long, Very Strange Life of Isaac Dahl" by Bart Yates is unlike any book I have read before, and I can't remember the last time I loved a book this much. It chronicles the life of Isaac Dahl from age 8 to 96, with each chapter depicting a ...   Read More
Viqui G. (State College, PA)

The Very Long, Very Strange Life of Isaac Dahl
This novel was delightful to read. The premise of reviewing Isaac Dahl's life based on 12 specific days spaced 8 years apart was a surprisingly effective way to understand the individual. The 12 days chosen to describe Isaac were a mixture of mundane...   Read More
Colleen C. (Bourne, MA)

The Very Long, Very Strange Life of Isaac Dahl
I totally enjoyed this book, loved that the book interwove fiction and non-fiction into one book. The book takes 12 twelve monumental days in history and forms a fictitious story with Isaac Dahl as the main character, along with family and friends. ...   Read More
Jodi S. (Goldens Bridge, NY)

Loved this!
What an interesting premise for a book. A day here and another day there. Some important days some ordinary days. But put them all together and they make up the very long, very strange life of Isaac Dahl. I loved the story and the way the booked ...   Read More

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Beyond the Book



The 1926 Bingham, Utah Avalanche

Black-and-white photo of Bingham Canyon circa 1920, showing rooftops of buildings and the steep mountainside The Very Long, Very Strange Life of Isaac Dahl by Bart Yates is written as a series of vignettes based on twelve days in the life of the main character, which include personal moments and historical events, both famous and lesser-known. One of these happenings is an avalanche that Isaac survives at the age of eight with his sister in the town of Bingham, Utah. This event appears to be based on a real-life disaster that occurred on February 17, 1926.

Bingham, Utah was a popular miners' community in southwestern Salt Lake County, situated in a canyon of the Oquirrh Mountains. Mormons Thomas and Sanford Bingham settled there in 1848, and ore was soon discovered, but it was only in the 1860s that the area began to develop as a mining...

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Read-Alikes

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