This is a creative non-fiction story about a polar bear named Nanu and her two cubs as they trek through the arctic and its changing weather and climate. The book is considered non-fiction because the nature writing and many elements are fact. The reader becomes more aware of the relationship between the bears and the importance of the ice, their relationship to seals, and the two leggeds and the general life cycle of a polar bear and their fight for survival. The book also shows great respect for the Indigenous peoples and their cultures, especially their relationship to the land and animals.

My disappointment in this book is because of my own expectations. I had seen a few interviews and read some reviews that talked about how the story was told from Nanu’s perspective. I thought that’s what would make this a unique read, but I didn’t find that it was told from the bear’s perspective. It was told from someone observing the bear and telling the bear’s story. I thought there would be more of an emotional connection to Nanu but that didn’t happen for me.

Worth a read for anyone interested in polar bears and how the arctic is being affected by climate change.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon Schuster Canada for an opportunity to read Ice Walker.

I’ve never heard of this genre - creative non-fiction - before, and I found this book fascinating. We follow Nanu, a young “fictional” female polar bear through an approx two year period of time during which she mates, gives birth to two cubs and teaches them the way of life in the article. Through her experiences, we see the impacts of climate change and also are given a lot of insights into the cultural significance of polar bears and their relationship with Indigenous people of the Arctic.

I’m a little bit obsessed with polar bears, and have seen the, in the wild, and could definitely visualize some of the scenes 🐻‍❄️