Nothing profound, but full of character and soulful intent. It’s well written and immersive, enjoyable to read over the holiday break. This helps set up the context of the documents, and provides commentary on them, linking the “primary” source material with insights that come a century later. There’s also a modern day exchange of letters, between a descendant of the explorer and a museum curator in the modern, no-longer-wilderness Wolverine Valley. It’s an unsettling vision where some women are also geese, and the shaman can turn into a limping raven.

Little, Brown, 26 (432p) ISBN 978-5-1 An 1885 wilderness expedition, a female pioneer of photography, and Native American myths come to life. Meanwhile, he comes into contact with a very strange wild Alaska, where people and wild animals can transmute into one another, sometimes with nefarious intent, and sometimes just because that’s their nature. To the Bright Edge of the World Eowyn Ivey. She chafes at societal expectations and delves into photography and ornithology. To the Bright Edge of the World requires some concentration to read at first. Walt wants Josh to transcribe the journal of his uncle Allen Forrester who led an expedition through Alaska in 1885. The lovers are separated for almost a year while he makes his way through the wilderness. The story begins with a letter written by Walt Forrester to a museum curator in Alpine, Alaska named Josh Sloan. Eowyn Ivey's two main characters, Colonel Allen Forrester and his wife, Sophie are both about to embark on journeys where their limits will be tested as well as their resolve to continue in the face of adversity and uncertainty. Army captain sent on an expedition to explore the Wolverine River Valley of Alaska, and his wife, who remains behind in Vancouver, Washington. To the Bright Edge of the World is all about discovery but not just that of the landscape and country. It’s of an unusual structure: a series of documents, arranged in more or less chronological order (with some variation for plot structure), written by 5 principal characters, two in particular. My friend Betsy recommended I read this novel, and I’m glad she did.

To the bright edge of the world