2.04.2017

To the Bright Edge of the World by Eowyn Ivey

 

It's 1885, Col. Allen Forrester embarks on a reconnaissance up the uncharted Wolverine River in Alaska, leaving his young wife Sophie in the Vancouver army barracks as he makes his journey. This novel will take you on a sojourn across inhospitable terrain and improbable encounters in spirited native lands. It is told in the genre of magic realism that first captivated me with the author's Pulitzer Prize nominated debut novel, The Snow Child. More than a story of discovery is the Col. and Sophie's enduring love and faith that transcends geography and time.

This epistolary novel contains interesting references to the 19th century replete with news clippings, photographs and maps. The correspondence format is a refreshing approach to intimately immerse into the characters and their nuances.


The vast Alaskan landscape and its mythical elements all come alive in the beauty of Ivey's atmospheric writing and imagery. In its quiet unassuming moments created a compelling tale that soared. Surreal to say the least. What's your first read this 2017?

P.S: I haven't read books that thoroughly mention the Native American experience, somehow it piqued my interest on their diverse tradition and how their culture were altered under colonial influence, specially in the wake of the Colonel's navigation where this fictional story is inspired.

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