It seemed like the book was a variation of Snow Child. I was so excited to read it, but I was disappointed.

There is so much I loved about this book. The immersion in Alaska, and the nature of that state was a thrill for me. I enjoyed the journey of Emmalee, from little girl through her trauma and out the other side into adulthood. Right when I was beginning to tired of the seemingly implausible plot line, the story picked up. I don’t want to leave any spoilers here, so the reason for the four starts is because for me, the story lagged a bit in the middle. Otherwise, very satisfying read.

WOW!!! Ivey has done it again with this haunting, lush, evocative fairytale. Her deep connection with the wilds of Alaska was abundantly obvious and I felt completely transported to the smoky lodges, verdant tundra, and rugged wilderness. Each flawless detail brought the story to life and rather than being bogged down in the slow build of the story, I devoured each word and stayed up well past by bedtime, desperate to see how the plot would unfold.

Like all good fairytales, there is constant under current of darkness. Birdie’s loss of self in motherhood, Arthur’s loneliness, and Emaleen’s fear of abandonment all contribute to a general sense of unease throughout the story, but by the end, the reader is still left with hope and a deep appreciation for the power of nature.

I loved this story so much and know it will stay with me for some time. One of my favorites ARCs that I have read this year. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this digital copy.

This book almost put me in a weird funk. What the author did so well was the ambiance with a strong sense of place. On the Northern slope of Alaska is a tiny town of Alpine where this takes place. The story takes you deep into the wilderness outside of Alpine and as the reader you sense this loneliness and solitude deeply.

A Beauty and the Beast retelling? I suppose it was, but don't expect much in that way. I actually found it to be similar to another fairy tale that I won't share here.

The relationship was...weird. It did not make sense to me. Why would Birdie accept this relationship. Emaleen is Birdies 4 year old daughter. I really loved Emaleen and even felt my own motherly instincts towards her. Again, I just don't know why Birdie would put Emaleen in some of the situations in this book.

All of this said. I think I liked it? It felt cold, the land was beautiful, it pulled emotions out of me,. I felt real fear and concern and baffled at decisions made.

Than the magical realism. O k a y. Hmmm. I went with it. I wanted more information. I wanted more details about how the situation happened and how it continued. I wanted more of the back story. I was left wanting. I wished there was more about this.

While I'm rating it 4 stars, I didn't love it. But it was very readable, made me connected to the story, and gosh, I was into it, but also didn't love it. I can't quite explain myself.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the gifted e-copy of this book.

4 ⭐️ A wonderous retelling of Beauty and the Beast set in the wilds of Alaska.

The setting is beautiful and the writing is descriptive and I was completely immersed in the sights, sounds, and smells of the wilderness. I loved the characters of young single mom, Birdie, her 4 year old daughter Emaleen, and the mysterious and damaged Arthur, the man/ bear.

Birdie is doing her best to support Emaleen at the local bar, but there is no future for them there. Poor damaged Arthur offers a new start in his remote cabin and it seems to be a dream come true. Birdie and Emaleen are thriving until things take a horrible turn.

Magical realism, true love, tragedy, loss and a full circle triumphant ending make for a great read! My one complaint, I wish there was more of Arthur’s backstory when Warren and Bev found him as a baby. Where did he come from? How did he become a bear/man?

The writing is beautiful, a great read!

Thanks NetGalley and Random House Publishing for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

After eagerly waiting for this book to come out for almost a decade, I was a bit worried it wouldn't live up to my mental hype. Fortunately, Black Woods, Blue Sky far exceeded my expectations. I'm assuming I was waiting 8 years for this book while Eowyn Ivey carefully picked out each precise word for describing Alaskan wildflower meadows and forests, and it was worth the wait.

It's hard to even write a review for this book because I loved it so much that trying to review it tends to just devolve into me ranting about how perfect it is. And there was a lot going on here. It was a Beauty and the Beast retelling, but also a book about motherhood, and also a book about nature, and also a book about domestic violence and people failing to break out of generational patterns of abuse and neglect.. Somehow, even with so many very big themes smooshed together, the whole thing was thoughtful and peaceful and heartbreaking and terrifying, and it all flowed together seamlessly to create an absolutely beautiful, brilliant book.

In no particular order, things I particularly enjoyed include:
● Unlike most retellings, there was a lot of genuine tension here. The book veers far enough from the original plot that there is never any reassurance of "this is definitely a nice love story and the beast will turn into a safe, human man at the end."
● Ivey does a great job of writing from the viewpoint of a six year old without creating a narrative voice that's annoying or unrealistic.
● Even side characters who are barely mentioned, like Della and Roy, are fully fleshed out, interesting people who add a lot to the story. Most of the book is single people wandering around forests by themselves, but there's still a very genuine sense of community.
● The way information in this story was presented worked so well. You get multiple viewpoint characters who are all extremely biased and only seeing things in one particular way, but by combining all the characters' internal thoughts with context clues, a whole different story starts to emerge.
● Everything is so beautifully written, especially the nature descriptions. Stopping to look at lichen on rocks or clouds in the sky doesn't feel like a digression from the story. Instead, Ivey manages to create a lush description of Alaskan scenery that perfectly works with everything else going on in the story.

Fans of Eowyn Ivey's previous novels Snow Child and To the Bright Edge of the World will be no less captivated, (dare I say at times enchanted?) by Black W0ods, Blue Sky. Ivey captures the spiritual essence of Alaska and those who live there, both human and beast, in this modern fairytale borrowing heavily from the tropes of the brothers Grimm. Birdie, the young single mother of four year old Emaleen, longs for a different life, a simpler life, a wild life. Birdie comes to know Arthur Nielsen, who is known as being rather different. A man of few words, his home is a cabin in the wilderness. Arthur, Birdie and Emalean form a family of sorts, surviving on their skills and supplies delivered by Arthur's father. Arthur harbors a secret that threatens not only their happiness, but his own existence, and shrouds the story in mystery and fantastical suspense. No spoilers here! The ending is its own reward, but be prepared for the unexpected.
Ivey succeeds in weaving a traditional tale with modern expectations. A beautiful work!

Thank you to Netgalley for this ARC of Black Woods, Blue Sky by Eowyn Ivey. Although this is a completely unique story, it had some Snow Child vibes to me. This story takes place in Alaska and opens with a young mother named Birdie and her young daughter, Emaleen. Birdie is a waitress at a small restaurant/bar at a small lodge. Trying to make ends meet while raising Emaleen is proving to be a little difficult. Birdie comes across Arthur, a local, in the restaurant one day. Arthur is very quiet, but the two strike up small conversations over time and slowly begin to build a friendship and possibly something more. But everything is not as it seems. This story had great pacing and character development and I’m glad I read it. I highly recommend this book as well as The Snow Child by this author.

If the gorgeous cover alone doesn’t draw you in, then the story of Birdie and Emaleen and Arthur definitely will. Part reimagined fairytale, part love story, part family drama, it’s a beautifully written story about how love, more than any other feeling or emotion, can look very different for each of us. The author makes the setting a main character and I love when authors do that - you will be mesmerized by Alaska if you aren’t already.

This was a haunting and beautiful story, more alike in its storytelling to that of the tragic and gothic undertones of Frankenstein than the romantic tension of Beauty & the Beast (as so many have likened this novel to). Thank you to the publishers and to NetGallery for the gift of this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I finished this novel about a month ago, and this story has been living in my head rent-free ever since. The sublime ferocity of nature is so beautifully depicted by Eowyn Ivey, and creates a formidable backdrop for our story in the rough, mountainous terrain of Alaska. Our FMC is Birdie, who is a flighty woman who exalts in the care-free and reckless pursuits of life; partying and dancing her evenings away even as she struggles to pay the bills and look after her young daughter, Emaleen. This story alternates between the perspective of Birdie and of Emaleen, and I immediately recognized the power in Ivey's story telling as she so clearly and distinctly writes these two perspectives so differently to the point that I would not have needed to be told who the story was being told by, as she so clearly cultivates a strong personality in her literature for each character. The very tone and cadence of her writing shifts, as the story progresses over time - as Arthur (our MMC) enters their lives and becomes the catalyst for Birdie's escape, as she yearns for the freedom of living her own life in the woods without anyone to oversee her or judge her behaviours or decisions as a mother.

There is a tenuous growth in Birdie's relationship with Arthur, a man who lives primarily on his own, away in a cabin in the mountains of Alaska. He harbours a mysterious past that seems to make many in the town mistrust him, but Arthur's easy candor and lack of expectations around Birdie draws her in. This is where I did not feel that this story could ever fall within the terms of a romantasy, much like most Beauty and the Beast retellings do. While, I can see why so many people draw some similarities between Beauty and the beast and Ivey's novel here, I found that the development and dynamics of Birdie and Arthur's story was very much their own. Arthur may have been a wild man of the mountain - perhaps moreso of an outsider than a beast, but i also understand where the magical realism also drew enough parallels for so many to liken "Black Woods, Blue Sky" to the story of Belle and the Beast. However I find this a disservice to the power of Ivey's writing, as it is so much more of a reflection to human nature than so many simpler fairytales (don't get me wrong, I love the classic fairytales and their rose-tinted presentations of humanity, but this story was so much more; it did not shy away from revealing the ugly and terrible underbelly of human-nature).

This book felt so much more raw, it cultivated how human desires can pull us into so many directions, even to our own demise. There is tragedy and hope wound throughout the pages of these books; failures and forgiveness, angst and love. I went into this book with little expectations as I had not read this author before or knew much about this story, and for that reason, this book hit me like an anvil to the chest. I loved it and also found that it was also deeply unsettling and disquieting. I felt myself turning the many facets of this story over in my head for weeks after I turned the final page. These characters were not drawn out to be the "golden" hero of each of their own stories. They stumble and fall and you can only wish and hope that they have the will power to pick themselves back up. Perhaps this is the reason why this story was only 4 stars for me, as I felt that the tone of hope and forgiveness could have been better utilized but I also very much respect the author as they are clearly a master of their craft in depicting the harrowing reality of how life can be.

This book was an experience unlike any other that I have read this year. It was masterfully written and had me in tears more than once. It had such powerful moments that still make me contemplate why life is the way that it is, why we can try so hard to do the right thing and still fumble and fail. Still, there is grace and beauty to be found in the moments of peace and forgiveness that this novel offers, and I highly recommend it to anyone as I think this story has so much to tell to all kinds of people of different walks of life.

Black Woods, Blue Sky is a magic carpet that transports readers to the sights, smells, and sounds of wild Alaska. Readers discover fields of wildflowers, wade into pristine, icy streams, hike to snow-capped mountains, and marvel at the natural beauty of Alaska. Free-spirited Birdie, her young daughter, Emaleen, and the mysterious Arthur are the unforgettable characters of Black Woods, Blue Sky. Birdie's life is stalled. She keeps bad company, often drinks to excess, but she want to be her better self for her daughter. Arthur rarely leaves his isolated cabin and has few interactions with humans. His path crosses with Birdie when Emaleen is alone and lost in a forest, and Arthur finds and returns her to a frantic mother. Birdie has dreamed of living off the grid, away from the people who ask too much of her, and doing work that does not feed her spirit. She and Emaleen join Arthur in his remote cabin, and in the early days, their life is a perfect idyll. Emaleen knows long before her mother that all is not as it seems. Nothing beautiful is without danger. Black Woods, Blue Sky tests the bounds of love and forgiveness. Recommended. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for advanced access to Black Woods, Blue Sky. The book will be released in February, 2025.

It’s no surprise that a new Eowyn Ivey has such vivid imagery. If you aren’t in living in the cold of Alaska when you read her work, then you’re reading it wrong. Her ability to transport you from your warm bed to a freezing forest is a little scary, and quite possibly magical.

Though the writing was lovely as ever, I found myself incredibly frustrated with every character. Their consistently selfish decisions and actions made this a more irritating read than I expected, but the plot was fast moving, which I appreciated.

This is my least favorite of Ivey’s books, but there’s still the same beauty and heartbreak that drew me to her first two books.

As a fan of The Snow Child and To the Bright Edge of the World, I’ve been waiting for this book, like many others, for so, so long. But, unlike many others, I might have accidentally crashed Eowyn Ivey’s Zoom – meant for her local community – back in 2020 during COVID. A friend sent the link (I’m not even sure where she got it). Clearly the author was talking with members of her local community; they were eating popcorn while I cowered in the corner, cam off, and listened with excitement as the author shared her early progress on this book.

For anyone who loved Juliette Phillips’s Bear, this book runs circles around it. Ivey infuses the Alaskan wilderness with mother-daughter themes and then wraps bear folklore into the entire story. To be honest, I was caught off-guard by the wave of emotion that hit me at the end … so much so, that I had to hide in the bathroom and recover (my BIL is visiting). Those who have read it will know the scenes to which I refer.

While I prefer Ivey’s first two novels because they fit into my preferred genre of historical fiction, this contemporary story was well written with realistically flawed characters, including a young POV character, Emaleen (something I generally don’t do that well with. Ivey handles a young POV narrator with skill).

I think readers new to Ivey will eat this up. If you’re expecting historical fiction, you won’t find it here – but you will find Ivey’s trademark love of Alaska and the wilderness. You’ll also find themes related to love, fitting in, and charting one’s own path. Can’t wait to see what she does next!

Opening the covers of Eowyn Ivey's novel was like stepping into the Alaskan landscape. In the beginning I didn't feel too invested in the characters, but as continued I was captivated by the story. This is very much the way folktales and fairy tales work, sometimes it's the story, sometimes its the message and sometimes it's the characters that draw you in, Black Woods, Blue Sky satisfied all three. This is a refreshing read. There is suspense that keeps the pages turning and I particularly loved the last book that tied the story up in a moving and wonderful way. Highly recommended.
Thank you to Netgalley and Random House for providing me with an advance reader's copy.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC!

This was a beautiful story, it reminded me of elements of once there were wolves, I really enjoyed the setting and characters

A haunting love story. This book started a bit slow for me and I feared it would veer in a direction I did not want to go. The more I read, the more I was pulled in and soon could not put the book down. Great descriptions of Alaska (both the landscape and the residents), the characters, and their relationships.

Black Woods, Blue Sky is a haunting novel set amidst the grandeur of the Alaskan Wilderness. Eowyn Ivy uses masterful storytelling to lure the reader into the wildness inhabited by her characters. This is a love story to the world, to our humanity, and to the animal in each of us that needs to be acknowledged and nourished before we can truly thrive. It is easy to see why people talk about this novel relative to Fairy Tales like Beauty and the Beast and Little Red Riding Hood. While Ivy’s characters are specific and real, their stories tap into the collective myths. However, the collective myth is just the starting point. Ivy goes beyond the simple stories into our more complex yearning for connection with our environment and all of life. When I finished this novel, I was most reminded of Mary Oliver’s transcendent poem “Wild Geese”. I highly recommend you read this book and see where it takes you. Like any quest, everyone who embarks will come back changed. Thank you to NetGalley and Random house for the ARC.

Reminiscent of Beauty and the Beast, Ivey tells a story of love, survival and acceptance that is steeped in magical realism. Twenty-something waitress Birdie, single mom to six-year-old Emaleen, forms a relationship with Arthur, after he finds Emaleen lost in the nearby Alaskan woods. Birdie’s feelings for Arthur deepen, and she and Emaleen move to Arthur’s remote, rustic cabin. But there are times that Arthur must leave alone, then return from the wilderness to Birdie and Emaleen. Ivey paints the lush surroundings of the forested setting with beautiful prose and sharp imagery. Yet what begins as an idyllic existence can’t last, although there is resolution at the end. Truly a haunting and worthy read by this Pulitzer-prize finalist.

I’m a huge fan of Eowyn Ivey’s writing. She weaves together human heartache and fairy tale beautifully. I always feel like her novels fill my cup and this one was no different.

Another winning read for me, by the Alaskan author Eowyn Ivey, author of one of my very favorite books..The Snow Child!
Geez, I don’t even know how to describe the book without giving anything away.
There is some magical realism … but in a fairy tale way… and it’s not over the top, this author knows how to do it just right.
Set in Alaska… Birdie is a young single mother who is struggling to make ends meet while raising her six year old daughter.
She is living in a room by a bar that she works at near the woods. She meets a quiet man who comes in the bar, sits by his self and orders chamomile tea.. he speaks all in the present tense.
He lives up in a cabin up in the mountains that was owned by his parents.
After spending some time with Arthur, she starts to dream of getting away and to take her daughter and go live in that cabin with Arthur. They go…
It’s different up there, no electricity, running water, etc.
Arthur is also different, just read this and see!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC