I just completely adore Eowyn's writing style. I've read all of her books so far and this one was so highly anticipated for me I was scared to read it. I was not disappointed. This was fantastic. It is so lyrical and haunting. She really makes you feel like you're right there in the Alaskan wilderness. I love camping and kayaking so her descriptions of nature feel like she's speaking to me. I enjoyed all the plant references in this one. I closed my eyes and felt like I was there in the tundra, in the cabin, the forest, along the river..

Not only does she bring the scenery to life, but her characters too feel so real. Eowyn is a master of using her words to make you feel connected to different aspects of the human experience. Hope, loneliness, family, peace, the call of the wild, etc. My favorite character was Emaleen. It was very interesting reading some of the story through her eyes. It was also interesting to see how Arthur and Birdie's free spirited natures brought moments of genuine connection, but also tragedy. I probably should've anticipated the mood shift in this book but I didn't. Even though it was sad, I couldn't put the book down at the end. The suspense was gripping and fascinating to watch unfold. Thank you so much to the publisher for the opportunity to read this!! I truly appreciated it. Eowyn Ivey has become one of my favorite authors and I was seriously so geeked to read this lol.

Note to publisher: Initial review is live on goodreads, link below. On the publish date, I will also post to : Tiktok, barnes and noble, amazon, and books a million. I'll update this review with a Tiktok link.
Update: I made two tiktoks about this story. https://www.tiktok.com/@cantureads/video/7444393396082347295?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7345918379795957290 and https://www.tiktok.com/@cantureads/video/7444955174201773342?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7345918379795957290

I am split down the middle with this novel. I wanted to love love love it like I did with the Snow Child, but honestly despite the beauty in it , it is still boring and kind of predictable.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

i sat for awhile and tried to figure out how to best describe this book…it would be easy to give something away so i’ll be sure not to. go in with very little (or zero) knowledge and allow eowyn ivey’s latest novel to sweep you away into the alaskan wilderness.
birdie is struggling to raise her daughter, emmaleen, alone. they live in a tiny cabin next to the bar she tends and she doesn’t properly know how to be a mother and a young woman at the same time. the feeling of “is this all there is?” bounces around her mind day in and day out. when she meets arthur, the quiet recluse who lives deep in the woods, she fantasizes about moving in with him and leaving it all behind.
i don’t know what story i thought this book was going to tell but the one i just finished wasn’t it. it was better. it was a story of love, mothering, compassion, and forgiveness. the descriptions of the flowers, the woods, and the pond made you feel like you were there right alongside them. nature was definitely a main character.
you’ll have to push aside your logic for awhile and just dive in. i highly recommend this book!

thank you to random house publishing for providing this book for consideration via netgalley. all opinions are my own.

Eowyn Ivey remains the queen of snowy, outdoorsy, tense narratives that sprinkle just enough fantasy with heavy themes of family and loss.

In Black Woods, Blue Sky, Birdie, a free-spirited waitress struggling to be a stable parent for her daughter, becomes enamored with a mysterious local named Arthur, who speaks sparingly but appreciates the wild Alaskan wilderness as much as she does. She convinces him to let her and her daughter move to his remote cabin with him, only accessible by his dad's plane. Everyone else in Birdie's life cautions her against this plan, but Birdie is stubborn and proceeds along with the plan anyways. We, the reader, know that Arthur has a dangerous secret, so the second two-thirds of the book are a slow, tense burn toward an end you can definitely see coming.

The final pages of the book are written from Birdie's daughters' perspective, and are completely heartbreaking.

This book was a masterpiece. Highly recommend.

Black Woods, Blue Sky
by Eowyn Ivey
Genre: Literary Fiction
Pages: 320
Publisher: Random House
Pub Date: Feb. 4, 2025

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for providing an e-copy of the book. All opinions are my own.

Black Woods, Blue Sky is written in three parts. Part One introduces the different characters and the difficult backgrounds of Birdie and Arthur. It also shows the evolving relationship between the two. It’s obvious Birdie wants a relationship with Arthur, and several people try to warn her off him. But Birdie has never been one to listen to others, and when the chance for her and Emaleen to move out into the wilderness with Arthur, she seizes it. Before long, she and Emaleen are standing at a remote airstrip with a few belongings, ready to start a new life. Warren, Arthur’s father, has flown them here, and before he leaves them, he too tries to warn Birdie against staying in the isolated cabin. He knows what can happen, what has happened, when Arthur has stayed at this cabin in the past, but Warren stops short of telling Birdie the details. It is a decision he will deeply regret.
Part Two revolves around Birdie and Arthur’s relationship at Arthur’s cabin deep within the wilderness. The three of them establish a new life. It’s the life Birdie has always dreamed of—a life of freedom in the Alaskan wilderness. But the Alaskan wilderness is also a dangerous place to live, a fact driven home as winter approaches.

Part Three is a jump forward in time, which is a bit jarring at first because it breaks the timeline of the first two parts. But it brings the story full circle. Emaleen is now a young woman, just graduated from college when she returns to her childhood home. She is there to confront her memories, or what she thinks are memories, but may very well be imagination masquerading as memory. As she revisits the people and places from the time, she discovers she must choose between forgiveness and revenge.

Black Woods, Blue Sky combines magical realism, the Alaskan wilderness, and ancient folktales with a modern twist. The novel also challenges the ideas that love can conquer all and memory can be trusted. Black Woods, Blue Sky also pushes back against the idea that “living the dream” always has a happy ending. What happens when that dream turns into a nightmare? I’ve read her previous novels The Snow Child, and To the Bright Edge of the World. Both novels have stuck with me long after I finished them. As in the previous novels, Ivey’s writing pulled me into the story and stuck with me once I finished reading. 5/5 stars.

BLACK WOODS, BLUE SKY
BY: EOWYN IVEY

It's hard to believe that the last spectacular novel, that introduced me to this favorite Author, EOWYN IVEY'S beautiful writing was in 2016, when I read her second novel as my introduction to her astute powers of transporting me to her breathtaking, vivid descriptions of remote Alaskan atmospheric prose when I read, and loved, "TO THE BRIGHT EDGE OF THE WORLD." I knew by being swept away by her glacial waterfalls, among the untamed rugged atmosphere that I would never forget it. That is more historical fiction and less fable like her first novel, "THE SNOW CHILD," which was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in 2012. Both set in Alaskan wilderness harsh, and wild territory, I finally knew that she became so much of an enigma to me with her ethereal, but totally unforgettable gifted storytelling style and captivating prose. After I read and loved, "THE SNOW CHILD," which this latest one reminded me of at certain points called, "BLACK WOODS. BLUE SKY, which didn't quite rise to the heights of her first two, it did at certain times towards the middle reminded me of how hypnotic, "THE SNOW CHILD," powerfully affected me in it's original fable like captivating, immersive unparalleled prose.

I know that after about 20% into this latest and highly anticipated third novel I remember consciously feeling similar feelings when I said to myself that this was more like an attempt to return to how I felt while reading, "THE SNOW CHILD," once Birdie and her six year old daughter moved out to the cabin with Arthur Neilsen. I loved Birdie's daughter Emaleen's trusting and lovable temperament. I had actually every so often, would check on Net Galley, searching for Eowyn Ivey's name to see if she had an ARC, since 2016, so when I saw this I knew I had to read it. I decided to jump to the head of the queue, and treat myself by reading this. As I said, this author returned to her magical realism style that was worthy of five stars, I was so excited to read it and this author's ability to describe the isolation and the way she can write made me visualize her atmospheric setting putting me inside the landscape of the Alaskan wilderness. With her botanist knowledge and her obvious familiarity of the flora and fauna of remote untamed country, I wasn't surprised to read in her ACKNOWLEDGMENTS, that she thanked her "Snow Child team," and that she lives in Alaska.

Although, reminiscent of how it reminded me at times after 20%, this one was excellent, but doesn't quite rise to the pinnacle of soaring to the same heights as her former two, then again I went into this completely blind I just became aware that it paid homage to "Beauty and the Beast." It had me thoroughly involved, as in almost reading it in one sitting because I totally was under this Author's spell, I didn't feel very connected to Arthur and I was shocked with how it seemed abruptly it concluded it's still one of my more memorable and probably favorite reads of this year. Without spoiling it I felt that a certain character held true to her goodness, and I will at some point reread all three to see if the first two are more majestic and be curious if they are still just as powerful, since I remember how I felt while reading them and my review of "TO THE BRIGHT EDGE OF THE WORLD," reminded me since I read a quote that had meant a lot to me at the time, I would have loved to know why Birdie and her sister Liz, were not in touch. At first, I was stunned at the beginning, and found Birdie hard to connect to, making it harder to pull me in, but I found myself loving the unpredictable trajectory of the plot, but it didn't feel as positively fleshed out and although it was suspenseful I hated turning the last page with thought and reflection it managed to make me sad, and felt heavier to my recollection of a lighter, sense of amazement with not feeling the same sense of wonder. Yes, this left me feeling a sadness, that hasn't lightened up, even with taking time to reflect on this, it is darker, but unforgettable.

Publication Date: February 4, 2025

Thank you to Net Galley, Eowyn Ivey and Random House Publishing Group for generously providing me with my ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

#BlackWoodsBlueSky #EowynIvey #RandomHousePublishingGroup #NetGalley

Having read [book:The Snow Child|33597976] by [author:Eowyn Ivey|4823432] and loving it, I had to pick this book up as soon as I saw it. Once again the lyrical prose pulled be in to an entrancing fantasy tale set in Alaska. This is a reimagining of Beauty and the Beast, only it seems darker to me certainly than the Disney version.

Description:
Birdie’s keeping it together, of course she is. So she's a little hungover sometimes on her shifts, and she has to bring her daughter Emaleen to work while she waits tables at an Alaskan roadside lodge, but it's a tough town to be a single mother, and Emaleen never goes hungry.

Arthur Neilsen is a soft-spoken recluse, with scars across his face, who brings Emaleen back to safety when she gets lost in the woods one day. He speaks with a strange cadence, appears in town only at the change of seasons, and is avoided by most people. But to Birdie he represents everything she’s ever longed for. He lives in a cabin in the mountains on the far side of the Wolverine River and tells Birdie about the caribou, marmots and wild sheep that share his untamed world. She falls in love with him and the land he knows so well. Against the warnings of those who care about her, Birdie moves to his isolated cabin.

She and her daughter are alone with Arthur in a vast wilderness, hundreds of miles from roads, telephones, electricity, or outside contact, but Birdie believes she has come prepared. She can start a fire and cook on a wood stove. She has her rifle and fishing rod. But soon Birdie realizes she is not prepared for what lies ahead.

My Thoughts:
The book read like a fairy tale. The beauty of the Alaskan wilderness is protrayed so well that I felt like I was seeing it. Parts of the story are filled with joy, but others with darkness and loss. Emaleen ws so young that when she was older she had trouble remembering all that had happened and some of it felt dreamlike. There are themes of love, as well as coming of aging and finding out who you are and how you want to live. I found elements of both fairy-tale magic and mystery and suspense. This book will appeal to those who like fantasy or magical realism.

Thanks to Random House through Netgalley for an advance copy.

Black Woods Blue sky takes place in the wiles of Alaska, a place whose majesty author Eowny Ivey evokes handily with beautiful prose and imagery. Birdie, a single mother to young Emaleen, is struggling.

Birdie is a free spirit. Her daughter Emaleen has a huge heart, an outsized imagination and fierce loyalty to her mother. Birdie and Emaleen go to a far off plot of land to live with Arthur, is seen as a misfit in society, someone who is unable to follow the rules in society, though the reason is not obvious.

It is clear that author Ivey has a love for the Alaskan Wilderness and a remarkable understanding and knowledge of this great outdoors. While the imagery was absolutely gorgeous, I must admit that the beginning of the book dragged for me. I kept waiting for the excitement to begin, (and eventually it did) and it took a while to get there. The last 30 percent or so went quite quickly and completely delivered. Overall I did enjoy this hauntingly beautiful story and its reimagined telling of a kind of a fairy tale—one that will stick with me for quite some time. Because I took so long to get into, I am rating it slightly lower at 3.75 stars (rounded up to 4).

Despite my rating of less than 4 stars, I do think many people will be interested in this story or human nature and animal instincts.

I received this advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review and feedback.

I couldn't wait to finish this book so I could read something I liked! A distinct outlier among readers, I could have abandoned at any time! NEVER GRABBED ME. I was hoping otherwise as I very much enjoyed The Snow Child and this looked like something that would grab my interest. NOT!!

The setting: Alaska. Twenty-something Birdie, a single mother, works and lives at a lodge, with her six-year old daughter, Emmaleen. Often hung over... Against advice, Birdie leaves the lodge to take up with Arthur Neilsen, a recluse with scars on his face, who lives in a cabin in the mountains on the far side of the Wolverine River--in the vast wilderness--without amenities. She believes she will be prepared for that kind of life and is looking forward to a new start. Arthur's language--like an impaired/challenged child. Whatever. It seems he did care for both Birdie and Emmaleen, but...

Two words: SLOW and BORING.

Pitched as a retelling of Beauty and the Beast--NOT TO ME!

Mostly told through Birdie's voice--all the challenges--both physical and emotional. I kept hoping for a turn to engage me, but it did not happen.

About three-quarters through the book, the voice changes to Emmaleen's and it skips ahead by leaps and bounds, From most of the book when she is 6, then jumps to 14, then 22! No lengthy filler of years between but "explanation" is sufficient. No spoiler and no surprises for me.

What did I like? THE COVER.

The book is being sold as a retelling of Beauty and the Beast, although I do not really see the connection. The story is a reckless single mother with a young daughter who eventually hooks up with Arthur a solitary man with issues in Alaska. I found the first third of the book to be slow. I did enjoy the rest of the book. I did not feel there was much of a connection between Birdie and Arthur.

There is something about the way that Eowyn Ivey writes that pulls me into her stories without ever questioning the somewhat different, if not outright strange, events that seem improbable, or impossible. Still, her characters seem believable, and when things seem to be a bit strange, just wait.

<i>Black Woods, Blue Sky</i> revolves, at least initially, around a mother who has a relatively young daughter, and no one else to care for her, but she still needs to work. And so Emaleen, her daughter, is on her own during those hours, which leads to an event that has her mother decide that she will leave her job and they will move to a more remote place.

There’s a lot in this story that seems to be a bit out of the ordinary, and as the years pass, perhaps even a bit stranger, but Emaleen seems to believe so strongly in those who she loves, that love will somehow conquer the strangeness.

There’s a lot of beautiful writing, as well as a love story that isn’t the kind of love story that you might expect, but this does explore the difference between what we want to believe, and the truth.


Pub Date: Feb 04 2025


Many thanks for the opportunity to read this engaging story by one of my favourite authors!

I believe I am going to voice an Outlier view, but I did not enjoy this book at all. I had looked forward to it as I had heard about Eowyn Ivey and many were eagerly anticipating Black Woods, Blue Sky. First, I found this book slow and never got into it. Birdie and her daughter are living in Alaska. She is a single Mom raising Emaleen who is 6. She decides she wants to live in a Remote Cabin in the woods with Arthur, who she knows little about, but quickly falls in love. It is dream to her to live away from life without power, electricity, or any basic amnesties. This would not be a life I would prefer, but there were beautiful scenes walking the trails and finding the glory in nature.

I then realized this book was based on Beauty and the Beast. I know this is a Fable, and certainly would never say it was a Fairy Tale. It is working off that Tired and Old Theory that The Love of a Beautiful and Good Woman can Temper the Violent Instincts of a Man. If that was true, I wouldn’t have needed to be a Domestic Violence Advocate for a decade. It completely is Not True in anyway. All the Adults involved in this story are reckless and let young Emaleen down. I liked her character and wish she had some people with sense around her. Definitely, not a message I enjoy reading about.

Thank you NetGalley, Eowyn Ivey, and Random House Publishing for a copy of this Book. I always leave reviews of books I Read.

I went into this thinking it was going to be a Beauty and the Beast retelling, but I feel like the book reads better if you just ignore that aspect completely.

Black Woods, Blue Sky is a haunting, beautiful story of single mom Birdie's efforts to live and thrive with her daughter Emaleen in a remote Alaskan town with no chance of her ever getting ahead. Despite always having Emaleen's best interests in mind, Birdie seems completely incapable of making a good decision.

<spoiler>This fairytale does not have a happy ending. Well, I guess it kind of does, but not in the way you'd think it'd go.</spoiler>

There's not a lot I can say that won't spoil the experience, but the descriptions in this book are absolutely amazing. The trees, the flowers, the environment, the cabin, the ants in the wood pile...incredibly vivid imagery from Ivey that really drives home the wildness of this story.

Big thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for letting me read and review this.

A beautifully powerful story with incredibly gorgeous scenery! While the premise is fairytale-like, the writing is so engrossing that suspending disbelief seems natural. To describe the premise, would not sound believable but this book truly is astounding. A mom and her 5 year old daughter move to a remote wilderness in Alaska, most definitely a prescription for disaster. However, there is strength and beauty to draw you in. This is a compelling read, I highly recommend it. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

2.5 stars

“Black Woods, Blue Sky” takes place in a small town in Alaska, where single mother Birdie works late nights at a local bar to provide for herself and her young daughter. She becomes infatuated with a local man who lives alone in a remote cabin in the mountains, and subsequently she and her daughter move out to the wilderness with him. The longer they spend there, the more clear it becomes that he is hiding a deadly secret.
This is being pitched as a Beauty and the Beast retelling, but other than a few surface plot details in common I don’t really see that story here, especially thematically. There’s really nothing charming or intriguing about Arthur at any point in the story and I don’t see that he and Birdie actually have any connection at all. Everything bad that happens in this story is the clear result of Birdie’s terrible judgment and inability to to take accountability for her actions, and it became frustrating very early on, especially when I realized she wasn’t ever going to change. The writing itself was good, with beautiful descriptions of the scenery, and it felt very grounded in its sense of place. My main issue was with all of the people.

Black Woods, Blue Sky transports you to the majestic beauty and harshness of Alaska where a single mother, Birdie, is raising her 4 year old daughter, Emaleen, waitressing and dreaming of a better life for them. When Emaleen gets lost in the woods, Arthur Nielsen finds her and brings her back to safety. He is exceedingly tall, rarely speaks and does so in a strange manner, has scars over his face and rarely is seen in town. He lives roughly across the river in the hills surrounded by nature.

After the rescue, Arthur goes to the restaurant quite often to see Birdie. Birdie becomes infatuated with him. As he describes where he lives, Birdie envisions it as her dream come true. Arthur’s father tries to discourage her but she is determined. He then agrees to fly Birdie and Emaleen to the cabin and keep them in supplies, weather permitting. A strong family bond is evident. Then the enchantment of the courtship soon becomes something more ominous.

Eowyn Ivey has created her own fairytale that will be remembered for a long time. The writing is brilliant. The mood changes send shivers. While the reader may have suspicions about what is evolving, the surprises will rock you. No need to say more.

Thank you Penguin Random House and NetGalley for providing this advance copy.

"Black Woods, Blue Sky" is a beautifully crafted novel that immerses readers in the rugged Alaskan wilderness during the depths of winter. Author Eowyn Ivey masterfully weaves together the stories of three women—a homesteader, a runaway, and a resourceful child—as they navigate the harsh realities of their unforgiving environment and confront the secrets and struggles that bind them together.

Ivey's poetic and evocative prose brings the Alaskan landscape to life, capturing both its stark beauty and its dangers. Her richly drawn characters are complex and compelling, with their individual journeys intertwining in unexpected and thought-provoking ways.

"Black Woods, Blue Sky" is a captivating and lyrical exploration of the human spirit's resilience and capacity for connection, even in the most extreme circumstances. This immersive and transportive read is perfect for anyone who appreciates atmospheric storytelling, vivid descriptions, and deeply moving characters. Prepare to be swept away by the powerful and poignant world that Eowyn Ivey has created.

Another beautifully written book from Eowyn Ivey, the author of The Snow Child. The description of this books says that it is a reimagining of Beauty and the Beast but I don't agree with it. I don't think there are enough parallels. But, if you want a book that will immerse you in the wilds of Alaska and carry you along with beautiful and descriptive writing, give this book a try.

I love the description of Alaska, the beauty and the roughness. There are some magical elements that are integral part of the story. If you enjoyed Eowyn Ivey’s previous books, you’ll definitely like this one as well.

Wow, author Eowyn Ivey keeps you toeing the lines of love, safety, wildness, beauty, and reality throughout this skillfully written book. It leaves you with a sense of awe and longing for what could have been/was/is/could be, like the best of fairytales/retellings. The cover and title, too, capture the essence of the story and evoke so much meaning and feeling by the end!