I selected this as one of my February BOTM selections. I do typically like magical realism and so this seemed like a great choice. 

Here are the things that I did appreciate about it: the loving care with which the author renders the Alaskan wilderness and the clear dedication she had to creating an image that readers could really sink their teeth into. From the images of the shifting sky to the flowers in the tundra, Alaska is almost its own character, playing a huge role in the story. The characters are constantly pulled to the wild. I also felt like the secondary and tertiary characters; Dell, Syd, Warren were really detailed and well developed. I particularly liked “Uncle Syd” and his stacks of books and pot brownies.

Unfortunately those two things were not enough to salvage this book for me. In short, the primary romance that compelled Birdie to make her choices was baffling and wooden. Arthur and Birdie had truly no chemistry. They have no spark, no interaction that felt compelling and passionate. Instead it was just a bunch of weird interactions and some “wild” sex scenes that involved mostly biting. And even then, it still often was described as cumbersome and awkward. We only know that they “love” each other because they say the words, and because I guess he’s nice to her child. It honestly was not compelling and it just highlighted how irresponsible and impulsive she was to basically insinuate herself into moving in with him. 

I also just thought the plot was so frustrating. The mother character, Birdie, constantly makes irresponsible decisions for her and her child. Instead of making any small, meaningful changes she makes grandiose plans and in the long term ruins multiple lives. On one hand her fate somewhat felt like a fitting end to a “fairy tale” that’s dark and instructive; impulsive people who trust too much can be felled by their choices. 

I also, weirdly, thought the book wasn’t long enough. While the book was resplendent with detail, we often got “telling” instead of “showing.” The romance between Byrdie and Arthur as well as the growing discontent in the cabin all seem to be relayed secondhand, or, at the very least, mentioned only at the last possible section. 

I think for people who love wilderness stories or who have a fondness for stories of precocious young children with unstable mothers, this may be a selection you enjoy. I think it’s a very beautifully told story, but relatively thin on meaningful character interaction. 

2/5.