Exceeded my expectations! As a lover of her first book, I was skeptical that there would be a repeat performance of her skill in character and plot development. But she did it! Wonderful, believable characters in a gorgeous yet unforgiving setting, with a bit of magical thinking tossed in. The power of love is woven throughout...is it enough?

Birdie is a flighty, free spirited single mother who drinks too much and despite her love for her daughter, harbors a secret desire for freedom from responsibility. One morning she meets Arthur, a recluse who lives in the mountains. He's a bit odd, talking only in present tense and the townspeople mostly eschew his company with the exception of his father Warren, Birdie and her daughter, Emaleen. As their relationship deepens, Arthur invites Birdie and Emaleen to come live with him in his derelict cabin... But Arthur harbors a dark secret that he keeps from his new family.

The setting of the book takes place in rural Alaska and the descriptions of the scenery, flora, and fauna are positively decadent. I've never been to Alaska (although I'd love to visit) but Eowyn Ivey's writing makes me feel right at home there.

The characters are flawed in a kind of sad way, and beautiful in their own right. There's Birdie whose desire for freedom makes her somewhat selfish, going so far as to accidentally endanger her own child. Emaleen at 6 years old is bright and precocious and recognizes her mother's need to be free; she lives in fear of being left alone. Arthur whose love for Birdie and Emaleen doesn't outweigh his need to be alone, and he's frequently missing for days at a time. And of course there's Warren, who understands why Arthur wanders, and fears for the safety of Birdie and Emaleen even as he's filled with regret for what he views as his own shortcomings as a father.

Birdie, Emaleen and Warren narrate the story, but the plot circles around the mostly absentee Arthur. His secrets keep him from ever truly committing to Birdie and Emaleen and keep him estranged from the rest of the world. When Birdie and Emaleen discover why Arthur is so distant, Birdie is desperate to bring him home, even as Emaleen wants him to stay away.

I read somewhere (perhaps the book blurb?) that this is a retelling of Beauty and the Beast, but I barely see a resemblance. This book may be about the connections that seperate man from beast, but the comparison is otherwise ill-made by someone wanting to see a fairytale through the tragedy.

One thing remains certain at the end of this book: every bit as enchanting as The Snow Child, Eowyn Ivey's writing remains impeccable. You won't be disappointed by this read so make sure to look for it February 11, 2025

I loved this novel which has its roots in fable and myth. Eowyn Ivey has once again written a book that goes straight to the heart with no holds barred. Since my initial reading of her first book, The Snow Child, I have looked forward to each subsequent book she has written.

As a former Alaskan resident, having lived close to 40 years in Fairbanks, I can attest to the accuracy and perspicacity of the author's narrative. Her eye for the natural world, the people of Alaska, and both the beauties and hardships of living there, are right on point.

This is a novel where I was asked to suspend belief and, due to the author's depth of character development, I was able to let go of my rational belief system.

Birdie, the protagonist, is the single mother of Emmaline. They live on the Alaska road system somewhere north of Anchorage but far enough away that their residence is quite remote. Birdie works for the local bar and is an outgoing and flirtatious woman. She loves Emmaline, who is a spirited, intelligent and insightful child. The reader might think that Birdie gives Emmaline too much freedom but I found her childrearing to be loving and malleable, in tune with the circumstances she finds herself in.

Out of the blue, Arthur starts showing up at the bar and, initially, Birdie is curious about who he is and why he is coming there. Eventually, she becomes infatuated with him and they begin a relationship. Arthur is a loner who lives in a cabin that is only accessible by air. He has an air of mystery and there are some unspoken beliefs about him that Birdie is not privy to. When he asks Birdie to live with him, in his cabin, she and Emmaline decide to go with him.

Arthur lives in what Alaskans call a 'dry cabin'. There is no water, no electricity and only a wood stove for heat. When Birdie arrives there, she is shocked about the neglectful shape it is in.

This wonderful narrative follows Arthur, Birdie and Emmaline into the remote wilds of Alaska, having to maneuver their lives to coincide with the primarily subsistence lifestyle they are now living. Occasionally, Arthur's father flies his plane near to the cabin and delivers supplies to them.

I won't say any more about the story as it is treasure for the reader to uncover and meld with. Ms. Ivey has written a stunning book that is as old as myths are and as radiant as the best of fables. This book is magic!

All I can say is wow - what a beautifully written story. I absolutely loved this book. It was endearing and heartbreaking at the same time. I couldn't put it down and the end had me in tears. The vivid descriptions of the Alaskan wilder coupled with characters that I really grew to care about really brought the story to life.

Birdie, the young, restless mother of six year old, Emaleen, craves something different, something more. She slowly establishes a relationship with Arthur, a reclusive and odd giant of a man. Arthur lives in a remote cabin, accessible only by plane or a two day journey on foot. Birdie decides to bring Emaleen and move to Arthur’s isolated home, after which Arthur becomes even more of a mystery. Wow! What an extraordinary book, one in which I experienced with a sensory immersion. Her descriptions were perfect, they put you in the moment, much like how Arthur lived. She did this without being too verbose or belabored, but was still able to provide the full experience to the reader. I felt the moss beneath my feet, smelled the earth and botanicals and fur, tasted the blueberries and mead, saw the kaleidoscope of colors. This book gave me all the feels, emotionally as well.

The character development, especially Birdie’s was excellent. Thank you so much to NetGalley and Random House for giving me the opportunity to experience this incredible book.

This is a hauntingly beautiful fable like tale set in the wilds of Alaska. Birdie is trying to make a life for herself and her young daughter, but feels trapped in her work a day life. She yearns to be free, to escape convention. Arthur offers her a new beginning. What ensues will have you riveted. Eowyn Ivey's writing is immersive and her ability to write from the child, Emaleen’s point of view is masterful. Out Feb 2025 genre-fiction/magical realism✨

I was so excited to see a new book by Eowyn Ivey. Black Woods Blue sky did not disappoint . Atmospheric, magical and heart wrenching, Ivey beautifully weaves the story of Birdie, Emmie and Arthur.

Eowyn Ivey has an incredible imagination. This new book will be on your mind long after you read the last sentence! I also live in Alaska and will forever think of any bear as an Arthur and anyone named Arthur, a bear. I found myself wanting to call out "Arthur, are you there?" when I took my dogs outside the night I finished Black Woods Blue Sky. This book had three parts, all beautifully written with descriptive details that I could totally envision.

Thank you NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Black Woods Blue Sky is best enjoyed on a midwinter night, next to a cozy fire, with your favourite warm drink in hand. This novel is the perfect choice if you’re looking for a good introduction to Eowyn Ivey’s prose and unique storytelling abilities.

Characters
The characters in this novel come from different walks of life. We have Birdie, a young single mother who wants nothing more than to fly away from her current constraints and be free. Then there’s her young daughter Emaleen who is so fiercely independent and extremely curious about the Alaskan wilderness that she calls home with her mother. And of course, we have Arthur - a mysterious mountain man that Birdie is drawn to in hopes that he can lead her to her desired freedom. The neglect that Birdie showed Emaleen throughout the novel was difficult to read. You could tell that Birdie cared for and loved her daughter, but she craved freedom more than anything, and that sometimes got in the way of her parenting. This made it difficult for me to love Birdie’s character. However, these types of dynamic characters are what make a story interesting!

Plot
This novel is equal parts beautiful and tragic. There were moments where I was so distracted by the sheer beauty of Eowyn Ivey’s writing, that I didn’t even see the devastating twists coming. And when those soul-crushing moments came up, I was left speechless. There were times (mainly closer to the start) where things were moving a little slow, but when the setting moved from the lodge to the wilderness, I was fully invested and excited to find out what would happen next. Could this be a plot device curated by the author to highlight how Birdie was feeling during her time stuck working at the lodge…? If so, GENIUS!

Setting/Vibes
The Alaskan wilderness - what a perfect setting for this novel! The descriptors used throughout make you feel like you’re really there in the middle of the woods, or next to the river. The scents, sights, and sounds are all described so well and I really appreciated the care and attention to these details.

Don’t go into this novel thinking it’ll be just another cozy magical realism novel. Black Woods Blue Sky is more than just a reimagining of Beauty and the Beast. Eowyn Ivey highlights people’s capacity to show empathy and kindness for others, and how quickly life can change in the blink of an eye. This is a novel that will impact and stick with you for years to come.

**3.5, rounded up

My first Eowyn Ivey book, and it likely will not be the last. The prose in this book is incredible, it's authentic, and it's hard not to love. Overall, I did like the story, although the ending got way darker than I expected it to and there were a couple of questions that I wanted answers that I never got, although I can suspend my disbelief on some things because of the genre.

This book, however, took me FOREVER to finish. I guess I just found that I was never really that invested in what happened to anyone in the story, and I didn't really feel the urge to continue once I put it down. I understand the full cycle of having Emaleen come back to the cabin when she graduated college, but the ending didn't really feel fulfilling to me.

Still, I did enjoy it, and I probably will read another book by Ivey in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Magnificent! I was initially hesitant to read Eowyn Ivey’s newest novel as I doubted it would live up to her beautiful work in The Snow Child. The author has exceeded my expectations with this stunning book.

The characters are all well developed, especially young Emaleen whose perspectives were perhaps my favorites. The author has a knack for writing from a child’s POV.

The wilderness of Alaska is as much a character in this story as Arthur, Birdie and her daughter Emaleen. The descriptions of the flora and fauna of the Wolverine River area, as well as the quirky, interesting cast of characters, have me wanting to book a flight to Alaska immediately.

This bittersweet story will stay with you long after you’ve read the final page. I know I will be rereading this book periodically as I do with The Snow Child.

Thank you Netgalley, Random House and author Eowyn Ivey for this exquisite ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Wow. You know when you are reading a book and you can’t stop thinking about it and the characters? That was this book. I loved her first book, The Snow Child. And this book felt somewhat similar and yet completely different. Eowyn has the most incredible way of combining realism and fantasy.

Preorder this book, it is hauntingly beautiful. February 2025.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Eowyn Ivey's The Snow Child was a wonderful surprise find for me several years ago (shoutout to libraries with "recently published" shelves) and has remained with me ever since. I was very excited to see this new work. It has many of the same elements as Snow Child: a remote Alaskan wilderness, magical realism, and interesting characters who encounter unusual circumstances.

Ivey's fairy tale-like approach softens the landscape and the action to allow the reader some distance from the omnipresent threat of danger that comes from living in the wilderness. In fact, my stomach was tight for the first several chapters until I realized that this story had a strong relationship to Beauty and the Beast and other traditional fairy tales, which contained harshness and violence that was scrubbed out by the time they got to Disney. In keeping with that understanding, the character of the child Emaleen was my favorite character as she looked on life with a child's eyes. Sometimes this got her - and her mother - in trouble, but her thoughts and actions were always logical and sweet. In fact, one of the strengths of the book is that the magical realism is paired with a firm grip on reality. All of the characters are changed in some way, and all are guided by their love for each other. The only "villain" in the story is inevitability. People grow up, people follow their paths to their logical conclusions, and people ultimately have to wrestle with their true natures.

It's hard to describe more without spoilers, but if you are looking for a story that will stick with you, I highly recommend this book. Many thanks to Random House and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Birdie is a single mom to daughter Emaleen. She works at an Alaskan lodge as a waitress. She wants more for herself and her daughter. Birdie meets Arthur at the lodge. He is a unique sort of loner that speaks oddly but lives utterly free in the Alaskan wilderness. Birdie and Arthur fall for each other and Birdie agrees to move to the wilderness with her daughter. She thinks she is prepared for the wild life with Arthur. Things however become very interesting for the new family.
I love the bits of fantastical elements Eowyn Ivey throws into her books ,they almost seem possible.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐I will be thinking about this book long after I've finished it. It left its mark and I would recommend this to anyone and everyone

Black Woods, Blue Sky is a hauntingly beautiful exploration of life, longing, and the darker side of human nature, set against the stunning backdrop of Alaska. The story centers on Birdie, a 26-year-old woman living in Alaska with her six-year-old daughter, Emaleen. Birdie’s life is a difficult one; she works long hours as a waitress and at a bar, struggling as a single mother while battling her own demons. Yet, despite the hardships, Birdie yearns for more. She dreams of adventure, excitement, and a life that feels truly lived.

Enter Arthur, a mysterious recluse who seems to embody the wilderness and adventure that Birdie craves. But as Birdie gets drawn deeper into Arthur’s world, the story takes a dark turn, and what unfolds is both mesmerizing and heartbreaking. I couldn't stop reading. I couldn't look away.

The novel’s alternating perspectives between Birdie and Emaleen add depth and a unique lens to the narrative. Initially, Emaleen’s point of view appears to be a charming way to contrast the adult struggles with a child’s innocent outlook. As the story progresses, it becomes clear that Emaleen’s perspective is not just clever but essential, offering a poignant and critical view as the tale shifts from hopeful to ominous.

While Black Woods, Blue Sky is said to be a retelling of Beauty and the Beast, I would argue that it transcends that label. The author has crafted something entirely new—a modern folktale that feels, to me, more akin to Romeo and Juliet meets the Brothers Grimm. The way the Alaskan landscape is woven into the story is particularly striking; the land itself feels like a living, breathing character, adding to the novel's haunting beauty.

Before reading this ARC, I glimpsed some early reviews praising the author’s previous work. Now, having finished this novel, I understand why. The author’s talent is undeniable, and I’ll certainly be seeking out her other books. Black Woods, Blue Sky is a story that will linger with you, a tale of yearning, beauty, and the shadow that follows both.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Random House Publishing for this ARC.

The novel opens with scenes of a mother, Birdie and her young daughter, Emmaleen playing together. The reader finds out that they live in a cabin, in the wilds of Alaska--trees, snows, bear, danger lurking. Birdie is from a broken family, likes danger, loves to party. Emmaleen is a precocious child, not yet old enough to be in school. The book is filled with minor characters who watch over and care for Birdie and Emmaleen. When Birdie plans to move away with Emmaleen to a secluded cabin with Arthur, others attempt to dissuade her. There is something about Arthur that is unspoken. Birdie can feel the danger and is drawn to him. This is such a great novel framed on the story of Beauty and the Beast. I am very appreciative of the complimentary digital ARC I received from NetGalley and Random House. This is my own, true opinion.

How does she do it? How does Eowyn Ivey manage to perfectly encapsulate a riveting story, layered characters and the perfect portrayal of Alaska? (Disclosure: I am Alaskan, I currently live here, and I grew up in the same town Ivey lives in and I am familiar with the area that Ivey uses as inspiration for her fictional locations in her books). 

It has been a long time since I’ve read a book that has me staying up late to read “just a little bit more,” and then Black Woods Blue Sky came along and hooked me. I don’t know how to properly even sum up this book. It’s an exploration of a complex set of characters: Birdie, her daughter Emmaleen, and Arthur. Each of them carries a unique set of circumstances (burdens?) as they attempt to exist and live and yet incorporate each other into their lives taking those circumstances into account. Add to that the backdrop of Alaska which can act as a character in many ways as well. Many authors set their stories in Alaska and only a small handful accurately capture the complexities that is Alaska. Ivey, as always, exceeded in doing this in Black Woods Blue Sky. The Wolverine Valley acts as a mirror to the characters--its dangerous beauty reflects back the complex, sometimes dangerous, love between mother and daughter, woman and man, and human and nature.  

In the end, this was a highly enjoyable book with an accurate representation of Alaska.  

Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this book.

Thank you to Netgalley for an early read of this wonderful book. Birdie and her daughter Emaleen live in a small community in Alaska. They stay in a lodge and Birdie works there as a waitress and bartender. She often goes outside and looks at the beautiful scenery and mountains in the distance. When she meets Arthur he offers to take her to a family cabin up in those mountains. The writing and descriptions of nature in this book will take your breath away. I loved all the characters and cried like a baby in the end. A MUST read when it comes out in February 2025. From the author of “The Snow Child” ( which i loved) Black Woods Blue Sky by Eowyn Ivey was a brilliant 5 star read!

I recall reading Eowyn Ivey’s The Snow Child years ago and that book has stuck with me in ways that books rarely do for me. I’m absolutely certain Black Woods, Blue Sky will be much the same.

What a hauntingly beautiful story. A reimagining of Beauty and the Beast, yes, but this is no Disney fairy tale. The author leans into the darkness that is commonly found in the oldest, original fairy tales and folk stories and creates a story that is brand new, but feels completely timeless. There are achingly lovely descriptions of the Alaskan wilderness alternated with bluntly brutal acknowledgments of how cruel nature can sometimes be. The author brilliantly shifts between three main points of view to tell this riveting story. The tension builds until you nearly feel it will be too much, but the ending is tender and gentle. Not quite a happy ending, but a fitting one, nonetheless.

Highly, highly recommend.

I didn't realize this was supposed to be a Beauty and the Beast reimagining until after I read it. I guess I can sort of see it? Minor spoiler - don't expect a fairytale ending as this was a beautiful but also sad book. I'm glad there was a Part 3, as it helped wrap the story up (though I still have some questions).

Kindly received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.