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To the Bright Edge of the World: A Novel
An atmospheric, transporting tale of adventure, love, and survival from the bestselling author of The Snow Child, finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. 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. "An epic adventure story that seems heir to the tradition of Melville's own sweeping and ambitious literary approach to the age-old struggle of humans versus nature . . . An absorbing and high-stakes read." -- Kathleen Rooney, Chicago Tribune
An Amazon Best Book of the Year
A Washington Post Notable Book
A Goodreads Choice Award Nominee
A Library Journal Top 10 Book of the Year
A BookPage Best Book of the Year
An Amazon Best Book of the Year
A Washington Post Notable Book
A Goodreads Choice Award Nominee
A Library Journal Top 10 Book of the Year
A BookPage Best Book of the Year
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Community Reviews
4.5⭐
I absolutely adored this story told through journal entries and letters between a husband and wife. I didn't know going in if it would hold my interest, as nothing else has for awhile now, but I'm happy to say this is definitely a top read of the year.
I absolutely adored this story told through journal entries and letters between a husband and wife. I didn't know going in if it would hold my interest, as nothing else has for awhile now, but I'm happy to say this is definitely a top read of the year.
"You'll be thinking about this one long after you've finished reading it."
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Eowyn Ivey masterfully weaves a story that deftly blends present day, a past Alaskan expedition, and native myths and legends. Though inspired by historical events, this is a fictional story that feels very real.
I enjoyed the format of the book and the way the story is delivered one piece at a time, as the museum curator pulls each artifact from the box containing journal entries, photographs, official military reports, news clippings, and personal letters. The official reports provide a grounded path for the story while the magical, mythical elements introduce bewilderment and uncertainty about what the characters truly saw and experienced. This enriched the story for me and I found it so intriguing that I could not put the book down.
Eowyn Ivey writes beautifully. Her words affect stunning mental images and emotion.
Original, captivating, and memorable. You won't be able to put it down and once you do, you won't be able to stop thinking about it. Highly recommended.
I initially gave this book 4 stars, because, quite honestly, I'm stingy with stars. But three weeks later I'm still thinking about this book and to me, that is a true hallmark of a GREAT book. So, five stars it is!
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Eowyn Ivey masterfully weaves a story that deftly blends present day, a past Alaskan expedition, and native myths and legends. Though inspired by historical events, this is a fictional story that feels very real.
I enjoyed the format of the book and the way the story is delivered one piece at a time, as the museum curator pulls each artifact from the box containing journal entries, photographs, official military reports, news clippings, and personal letters. The official reports provide a grounded path for the story while the magical, mythical elements introduce bewilderment and uncertainty about what the characters truly saw and experienced. This enriched the story for me and I found it so intriguing that I could not put the book down.
Eowyn Ivey writes beautifully. Her words affect stunning mental images and emotion.
"For a few precious minutes as the sun descended, through the doorway I could see that the hall and kitchen was cast in a golden glow, and as Charlotte swept, the dust specks were suspended in the shafts of light. Father would have thought the scene very pretty. The fairy hour, the magical hour, when light moves from gold to silver."
Original, captivating, and memorable. You won't be able to put it down and once you do, you won't be able to stop thinking about it. Highly recommended.
I initially gave this book 4 stars, because, quite honestly, I'm stingy with stars. But three weeks later I'm still thinking about this book and to me, that is a true hallmark of a GREAT book. So, five stars it is!
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