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Monday, March 26, 2018

To the Bright Edge of the World - Eowyn Ivey

To the Bright Edge of the World by Eowyn Ivey

First Paragraph(s):

Attention Mr. Joshua Sloan
Exhibits Curator
Alpine Historical Museum
Alpine, Alaska

Mr. Sloan,
     I warned you I am a stubborn old man.  These boxes have the papers I told you about, the letters and journals from my great-uncle's 1885 expedition across Alaska.  I know you said you weren't able to take them on, but I'm sending them anyways.  You'll change your mind once you read through all this.  Truth be told, I don't have much choice.  I never had children of my own, and all the relatives are dead.  When my turn comes, these papers will be thrown out with everything else.  For most of my life they have been crammed in trunks and boxes, and they show signs of wear.  It would be a shame for them to be lost altogether.

My Thoughts:

First of all, I love a good epistolary novel.  Books told through diaries, letters, pictures, note cards, newspaper articles - love them.  To the Bright Edge of the World is indeed such a book.  It is the second novel by Eowyn Ivey (and her name - Eowyn - is pronounced A-o-win - she's named after the character in Lord of the Rings).  I read this book recently for a book group and it was a really good and thoughtful discussion.  Almost everyone liked it very much, though there were some who had reservations about certain aspects - the hardship experienced by the characters in travelling through and exploring Alaska in the late 1880's and also the deprivation that existed for the Native peoples that already had lived there for generations.  Some also had trouble with the hazy, magical-realism sort of feel to many parts.  There were legends and tales - shape shifters or maybe not - a raven that might have been a shaman or just a bird. 

There was also a great and evocative love story between Colonel Forrester and his wife, Sophie.  She must stay behind at Ft. Vancouver, Washington while her husband and his men travel for months on end to learn new things about this beautiful and scary territory far to the north.  Though the soldiers certainly have trials, Sophie does as well.  She takes up a new pursuit, photography, and patiently learns how to operate the camera she acquires and also how to calm her own fears because of things in her past.  And she waits and waits for word about the explorers.

I enjoyed the references to the Columbia River Valley area, Portland, and Mt. Hood.  The occasional descriptions of the Pacific Northwest and flora and fauna were welcome.  This book was not a quick read and it's not a short one either.  When I appeared at the book group, several said 'I thought you didn't read books like this...' and I don't, usually.  Though I am so glad that I decided to try it.  The author, Ivey, is a native Alaskan and lives with her family there.  It was apparent to me that she knew much about the country and also that she had done much research.  The book also includes a current day aspect, shown above in the 'first paragraph' section, in which a descendent of Colonel Forrester donates the diaries and papers to an Alaskan museum.  The relationship that develops between the older gentleman that donates the material and the museum director was poignant as well.  So, what's my verdict - I loved this book.  It is highly recommended by me.

Blurb:

In the winter of 1885, decorated war hero Colonel Allen Forrester leads a small band of men on an expedition that has been deemed impossible: to venture up the Wolverine River and pierce the vast, untamed Alaska Territory. Leaving behind Sophie, his newly pregnant wife, Colonel Forrester records his extraordinary experiences in hopes that his journal will reach her if he doesn't return--once he passes beyond the edge of the known world, there's no telling what awaits him.

The Wolverine River Valley is not only breathtaking and forbidding but also terrifying in ways that the colonel and his men never could have imagined. As they map the territory and gather information on the native tribes, whose understanding of the natural world is unlike anything they have ever encountered, Forrester and his men discover the blurred lines between human and wild animal, the living and the dead. And while the men knew they would face starvation and danger, they cannot escape the sense that some greater, mysterious force threatens their lives.

Meanwhile, on her own at Vancouver Barracks, Sophie chafes under the social restrictions and yearns to travel alongside her husband. She does not know that the winter will require as much of her as it does her husband, that both her courage and faith will be tested to the breaking point. Can her exploration of nature through the new art of photography help her to rediscover her sense of beauty and wonder?

The truths that Allen and Sophie discover over the course of that fateful year change both of their lives--and the lives of those who hear their stories long after they're gone--forever.

30 comments:

  1. This does sound good. Ya know, sometimes you and I operate on the same wavelength. I'm going to be reviewing an epistolary novel this week, too! LOL

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    1. Are you now? I need to watch for it. I bet that one would suit me too. Ha!

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  2. Oh, now I've had this one on my radar for a while so I'm pleased to hear that you loved it. It sounds very much like my kind of thing.

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    1. I think you would like it, Cath. It does have Alaska. Just remember it doesn't move very fast.

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  3. I ordered this book (& many others) just last week and am keen to give it a read having loved another of the author's works - The Snow Child.

    Thanks for sharing your thoughts!

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    1. I tried The Snow Child and bogged down, but I should try it again at a later time. Hope you enjoy it!

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  4. I've had this on my list for a while, and I still haven't gotten around to it. Your review has revived my interest.

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    1. Glad that it piqued your interest again!

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  5. I had no idea this is epistolary. I'll have to pick it up!

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  6. This does sound like bait of a departure for you, Kay! I actually have it on my kindle - took advantage of a daily deal when my book club selected it, but missed the meeting last winter. Epistolary novels appeal to me, too, so I'll get to it eventually. Have you read her first novel, The Snow Child? That sounds good, too.

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    1. I tried the first one, The Snow Child, a while back. I kind of bogged down, but it makes me want to try again at a later date.

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  7. This sounds like a beautiful novel!

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    1. It was beautiful. Such a lovely story - well, not all of it lovely, but you know what I mean.

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  8. She, and this book, sounds like an author I would absolutely love. I do adore any novel that takes its time and is detail-heavy. I also love epistolary novels and never understand why others avoid them. To me, they are such a great way to get to know the characters much more intimately.

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    1. I have always loved epistolary books - long before I knew the name for them. Ha!

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  9. Magical realism and I sometimes don't get along, but it's those books where do that keep me reading more. I do want to read this one. I haven't read many books in this particular setting, but I've heard such good things about the author's work.

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    1. I loved the setting - Alaska and the Columbia River Valley. And I loved the characters.

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  10. I didn't know this was an epistolary novel! That makes me want to read it even more than I already did. :D

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  11. You had me at "Columbia River." I grew up in the Columbia River Gorge. My parents' living room window frames a beautiful view of Mt. Hood. I saw it every day growing up and have missed it ever since I moved out. It's gorgeous!

    I'm definitely going to have to read this one. Thanks for the rec.

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    1. You've told me that - about growing up in OR. I loved reading about that area through the book - just little snippets. You should try this one and see if it works for you.

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  12. Books set in Alaska always get my attention since living there on and off when I was a kid. Both my brothers were born there. I also love epistolary novels.

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    1. It definitely seems to show some of the beauty and also the hardships of Alaskan living.

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  13. Sounds interesting. I've no idea this is an epistolary novel either. Thanks for sharing, Kay!

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  14. I read your review with interest as one of my book clubs will be discussing this book in November. We all enjoyed a good discussion of her first novel, so we are looking forward to this one. I like this sneak peak you've given me here and will send my friends over to read your thoughts.

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    1. You'll have to let us know about your discussion later this year, Margot.

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  15. I absolutely adored The Snow Child by Ivey and it was one of those books where the writing really stood out to me. This one caught my attention just because of the author but I didn't know anything about it - including that it was epistolary. I definitely need to read this one. Thanks for sharing!

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    1. I'm glad it's appealing to several. Hope you get to read it at some point.

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Thanks for stopping by! I am so happy to hear your thoughts and will respond as soon as I can. Happy Reading!