Book Review of
A World Lost
A World Lost by Wendell Berry was published in 1996. It is part of the Port Williams series.
In A World Lost, Andy Catlett remembers the summer of 1944. It was the year when his uncle was shot and killed by Carp Harmon.
Years later, Andy wants to get to the bottom of his uncle’s death so he can understand them better.
Lynn's Review
When Wendell Berry died last month, I knew it was time to pick up one of the books in the Port William series I hadn’t read. As I scanned my bookshelves, I settled on A World Lost.
A World Lost is set in the summer of 1944. Andy Catlett remembers when he was nine years old, and his uncle was shot and killed. He is named after his uncle.
The book is Andy remembering his uncle and the time around his death, but it is also Andy trying to figure out the murder and the story of what really happened to his uncle.
One thing I love about Wendell Berry is that he writes about real life. His books read like real life. He doesn’t shy away from death and tragedy. He writes about the feelings that come with hard times, but he also writes about the joy of the good times.
The more books that I read in Wendell Berry’s Port Williams series, the more I feel like I know the people that live there. As you read the books, you learn about Port William across generations. You see them live through the difficulties of war, poverty, and life in general, but you also see their wisdom and strength as they age.
This book isn’t my favorite in the series; that honor goes to Hannah Colter, but it is still a great book. I am so glad that I read it. It was the perfect addition to the ones that I have already read in the series.
About Wendell Berry
Wendell Berry was born in 1934 in Port Royal, Kentucky. He was a poet, novelist, farmer, and nature writer. He died in August 2026. He is well known for his Port William series.