HomeGroupsTalkMoreZeitgeist
Search Site
This site uses cookies to deliver our services, improve performance, for analytics, and (if not signed in) for advertising. By using LibraryThing you acknowledge that you have read and understand our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Your use of the site and services is subject to these policies and terms.

Results from Google Books

Click on a thumbnail to go to Google Books.

Loading...

To the Bright Edge of the World

by Eowyn Ivey

Other authors: See the other authors section.

MembersReviewsPopularityAverage ratingMentions
1,1068018,083 (4.11)133
Fiction. Literature. Thriller. Historical Fiction. HTML: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 returnā??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 livesā??and the lives of those who hear their stories long after they're goneā??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." ā?? 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 t
… (more)
  1. 30
    The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey (pamelahuffman)
    pamelahuffman: By the same author. Also set in Alaska. Also has some magical realism which is presented as more real than magic. Thoroughly enjoyed both.
  2. 30
    A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki (pamelahuffman)
    pamelahuffman: In both books there are people in the present trying to make sense of journals and artifacts from the past. Loved both books.
  3. 20
    Cold Mountain by Charles Frazier (pamelahuffman)
    pamelahuffman: Narrative is split between male and female protagonists in both stories. Males are out in the world while women struggle on the home front. Loved both.
Loading...

Sign up for LibraryThing to find out whether you'll like this book.

No current Talk conversations about this book.

» See also 133 mentions

Showing 1-5 of 80 (next | show all)
A wonderful historical fiction novel set in late 19th century. It is the story of Colonel Forrester and his wife Sophie many years his younger. They are recently married, but need to be separated since Colonel Forrester is leading an expedition into the interior of Alaska. This is an epistolary novel, so you get entries from Colonel Forrester, Sophie, a few other characters of that time period, miscellaneous entries from historical documents, pictures, and letters back and forth from Josh and Walt in the present day, as they discuss their findings in Colonel Forrester's diaries.
Very strong characters, beautiful scenery, a touch of mystery, and observations about relationships that kept my attention throughout the entire novel. This is an excellent book and I highly suggest reading it. ( )
  wvlibrarydude | Jan 14, 2024 |
3.5/5 stars ( )
  elenamnls | Jun 27, 2023 |
Loved this book! Having lived in Alaska, I liked the fight against the elements, the customs of natives, and the difficulties of the frontier. Sophie was a remarkable woman who wouldnā€™t be criticized for doing as she pleased. Her fascination with birds, light, photography was enjoyable. ( )
  cathy.lemann | Mar 21, 2023 |
This engaging book transports the reader to 1880s Alaska and Vancouver Barracks in Washington through a series of letters and journal entries. ( )
  CarolHicksCase | Mar 12, 2023 |
I felt it a bit "plodding", however, I did like it. ( )
  dmurfgal | Dec 9, 2022 |
Showing 1-5 of 80 (next | show all)
no reviews | add a review

» Add other authors (4 possible)

Author nameRoleType of authorWork?Status
Eowyn Iveyprimary authorall editionscalculated
Biekmann, LidwienTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
VandenHeuvel, KiffNarratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
You must log in to edit Common Knowledge data.
For more help see the Common Knowledge help page.
Canonical title
Original title
Alternative titles
Original publication date
People/Characters
Important places
Important events
Related movies
Epigraph
I looked directly into its eyes and knew that I understood nothing.
Richard K. Nelson on seeing an Alaska wolverine, Make Prayers to the Raven
Dedication
First words
Mr. Sloan, I warned you I am a stubborn old man.
Quotations
All that matters is how a man lives in this world.
You have an eye for the extraordinary, Sophie. It makes me wish all the more that you could have seen Alaska, only without our hardships, for I believe you would have spied something beyond what my poor senses could fathom. I found myself inadequate in the face of it. Only now, as I leave these shores behind, do I begin to try to comprehend: gray rivers that roar down from the glaciers, mountains & spruce valleys as far as the eye can see. It is a grand, inscrutable wildness. Never are the people here allowed to forget that each of us is alive only by a small thread.
Last words
(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)
Disambiguation notice
Publisher's editors
Blurbers
Original language
Canonical DDC/MDS
Canonical LCC

References to this work on external resources.

Wikipedia in English

None

Fiction. Literature. Thriller. Historical Fiction. HTML: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 returnā??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 livesā??and the lives of those who hear their stories long after they're goneā??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." ā?? 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 t

No library descriptions found.

Book description
Haiku summary
Amid Alaska's
majestic beauty, men are
insignificant.
(passion4reading)

Current Discussions

None

Popular covers

Quick Links

Rating

Average: (4.11)
0.5
1 6
1.5
2 7
2.5 1
3 32
3.5 17
4 116
4.5 33
5 90

Is this you?

Become a LibraryThing Author.

 

About | Contact | Privacy/Terms | Help/FAQs | Blog | Store | APIs | TinyCat | Legacy Libraries | Early Reviewers | Common Knowledge | 203,187,975 books! | Top bar: Always visible