One of the pleasures of a snow day is cuddling up in a blanket and immersing myself in a book full of snow. This book, set in early 1900s snowy AlaskaOne of the pleasures of a snow day is cuddling up in a blanket and immersing myself in a book full of snow. This book, set in early 1900s snowy Alaska was my pick for this year’s snow read. It follows a couple homesteading in the wilds of Alaska. I enjoyed reading about the intensity of the landscape, weather, isolation, wildlife, and lifestyle of living in the Alaskan frontier. I appreciated the author’s ability to create a sense of place which feels as important as the characters themselves.
At the heart of the novel is a childless couple who discover a child and her pet fox in the forest and end up raising her somewhat as their own. But the girl is a creature of nature, and she always disappears into the mountains when the snow melts every year. “The girl’s hair was white-blond, but when Mabel studied it, she saw that woven and twisted among the strands were gray-green lichens, wild yellow grasses, and curled bits of birch bark. It was strange and lovely, like a wild bird’s nest.” The couple’s neighbors think this child of the woods is perhaps a figment of the couple’s imagination because nobody ever sees the girl except the couple. The wife even sometimes wonders if she’s imagining the girl because so much of their lives with the girl parallels a beloved Russian fairy tale read in a book from the wife’s childhood.
Because of the fairy tale theme, I was afraid the novel would feel more like fantasy than reality, but the novel is very realistic. The wanderings of the snow girl and the trappers in the novel made me hungry for a life where I could just go to the woods and wander around for days on end until I got tired and wanted to come home (minus the animal trapping). “Those aimless walks as a child were among his most peaceful memories.” They are mine, too.
The novel ends predictably, but it really could have ended no other way. It is a beautiful novel and very much recommended for a nice winter read. The author grew up in Alaska, and I'm curious to read her next book....more
This "must-read" book of 2018 is one I wish I would have stayed away from. At some point, the author decided that THIS is what was going to happen to This "must-read" book of 2018 is one I wish I would have stayed away from. At some point, the author decided that THIS is what was going to happen to the characters in the book. You know, Author, it really could have gone some other way. I prefer my capital-T Tragedy to be in less realistic settings and less heart breaking. So perhaps I should stick to sci-fi and horror rather than modern tragedies.
The story begins with a Vietnam POW inheriting a cabin in Alaska from his fallen comrade. He moves his family to what turns out to be an off-the-grid island only accessible by boat, ferry, or seaplane. I think I wouldn't mind going off the grid somewhere tropical, but not Alaska. I read the entirety of this novel either in a steaming hot bath or under an electric blanket, 2 things I couldn’t do without in winter as they must. I also couldn't handle Alaska with an outhouse and no running water in winter.
The setup is perfect for something to go very wrong. Winter is setting in with long nights; isolation; bears not yet hibernating; politically- & socially-volatile locals; and a newly-returned Vietnam POW with PTSD, jealousy, seasonal depression, & rage issues. And things do go very wrong … in multiplicity.
I never read reviews closely before reading a book so that I don’t get spoilers. So I thought I was mainly getting a story of a family surviving in the solitude of the Alaskan wilderness. Instead, I got a cascading avalanche of tragedies. Once the worst of the tragedies started, I couldn’t sleep until I got to the end of them. But the bittersweet ending couldn’t salvage the star lost from being a book full of continuously horrible happenings. Read at your own risk....more
After reading another book set in the Alaskan wilderness and seeing previews for the upcoming movie, I felt like I wanted to revisit The Call of the WAfter reading another book set in the Alaskan wilderness and seeing previews for the upcoming movie, I felt like I wanted to revisit The Call of the Wild. I read it as a child, but I’d really forgotten the story. It’s different reading as an adult anyway. London succeeds at contrasting the folly of men against the harshness of the Alaskan wilderness where only the strongest, most adaptable, and most prepared survive. It’s interesting watching the transformation of a German Shepherd and Saint Bernard mixed breed dog who was born into an easy California life and turns into a dog of the Alaskan wilds. Different sides of him emerge as he’s beaten and broken by man to become a sled dog, as he finds love in his work, as he finds a loving owner worthy of protection, and as he befriends wolves and discovers his wild and true nature.
I really want to see the upcoming movie even if the dogs are obviously CGI. Harrison Ford is the perfect John Thornton. I certainly envisioned him as I was reading. I’m only concerned the outcome of the book may be a little to harsh a reality for my elementary-aged kid. London certainly shows the harsh realities and doesn't sugar-coat struggle and death. Even with that, I wonder how many men London still inspired to go out and seek their fortunes in Alaska anyway. The adventure certainly is appealing....more
Loading...
