I read this book back in 2016, and I apologize for not reviewing it sooner. I still remember the main points of the story, which says a lot for the book. Colonel Forrester takes an expedition into the wilds of the Alaska Territory while leaving his wife behind. The author expertly show the extreme hardships that the men endured with the counterpoint of the beauty and wildness of nature around them. I loved the mystical element. I went out and bought a physical copy of this book for my shelves because I want to re-read it. I loved this beautiful book!

Late 19th century, Alaska. Colonel Allen Forrester leads an expedition to the Wolverine River. As he and a couple of men under his comand are going deeper and deeper into the white wilderness, the borders between the rational world as they have known it and the mythological woorld of the natives begin to blur.
Allen's young new wife Sophie waits on him in the military barracks, with just a few messages - and expecting their first child. She too encounters the moments of very strange coincidences...and the growing pains of life on her own are to change her to be her own woman more and more.

This is a very atmospheric, almost lyrical (yet cruel sometimes) read which some will like and some will dislike - mainly because this novel needs its reader, someone who is sensitive to images, moods, atmosphere and feelings. Yes, this means this is a prolonged reads where sometimes nothing much happens. And yes, it also means that when things are happening, they are strange and moody and that the prose is very beautiful. And there is an interesting plot of travelling to the white places on the map and myths and feminism and friendship and love.
Would I recommend the book? To certain readers, yes, to those sensitive to the atmosphere and to those who love to feel and visualize when they read and are not afraid to be transported into a land with no safety nets. To some other readers it would go with a warning (this might not be a COVID-19 read for those with oversensitive imagination or maybe the child-related trigger points) and to others I would say that their beloved actions lie in the Scandi noir :)

Me? I lie somewhere in the middle. I have enjoyed this read. The storytelling is beautiful (the authoress is very talented) and I like some of my reads being haunted and atmospheric. Yet, I would like some more substance.

I recommend to read this book in a winter (or close to a forest or river) to get a dose of atmosphere.

Set in Alaska an expedition is going to set out on previously uncharted waters and territory. An expedition that is fraught with danger. Previous expeditions have failed but this is now a challenge to open the Wolverine River and get access to Alaska's rich natural resources.

Lieutenant Colonel Allen Forrester thinks of this as an opportunity of a lifetime being given the lead for such an important expedition. His young pregnant wife Sophie does not know what the future will hold when they are parted for an year.

The story said through journal entries, letters, pictures, notes add a lot of graphic interest and strength to the story both personal and historical.

Why did it take me so long to read this beautiful book? As many other readers I loved “The Snow Child” and I was happy to get my hands on Eowyn Ivey’s new book. But somehow I did not come around to read until now. And I am happy that I did.

The story is told through letters and diaries. There are also two timelines. The main one is settled in 1885. Sophie, a young teacher, is recently married to Colonel Allen Forrester. He is about to go on an expedition to Alaska. Sophie stays behind in Vancouver because she is pregnant and that is what women do then – stay at home. They both write diaries. While Allen faces the beautiful and merciless land and has encounters with the natives, Sophie has to face her life alone at home. She is not so much interested in the meaningless tea parties and other social interactions with the other wives. She develops an interest in photography and soon she puts all her time and effort into her new hobby.

Both diaries are equal interesting to read. The story is framed by another story which is placed in the present. Here we learn that the diaries survived the time and one of Allen’s ancestors owns them. He wants to donate them to a museum in Alaska and he begins to write to the guy who works there. It is the beginning of a wonderful friendship.

Eowyn Ivey writes beautifully. You can feel the cold, see the wild river, meet the natives, walk through snow storms and have mystical experiences. She weaves a lot of folklore into it which I liked very much. Maybe it was a bit too much photography stuff on Sophie’s side but I easily skipped some of it. It was a very unique and interesting read. I will definitely watch out for more books from the author.

Books in a diary form are not really my favorite storytelling technique. I can have trouble getting into characters life when books consist of letters or diary notes.

In that case of To The Bright Edge of the World does the diary form technique work to a certain extent. I feel that Allen Forrester's notes were more interesting to read than his wife Sophie's notes. However, I think it's because Allen's notes are more interesting since you follow him and his comrades while they explore Alaska. While home in Vancouver, one gets Sophie's daily life, which at first was interesting, but when the interest in birds took over her life and she became obsessed with photography, did I feel my interest dropped a little. In addition to Allen and Sophie's stories, we also get a side-story with letters from a contemporary relative to Allen and a museum curator in Alaska, and I found this correspondence very interesting to follow.

One thing that I just have to bring up about the book's story is the strange things that happen, moments of magical realism, which is hard to explain. I loved that. There is something very exciting about things that cannot really be explained by reason, and Eowyn Ivey has really succeeded in getting the magical realism to work in this book.

To The Bright Edge of the World is an interesting book and perfect if you are looking for a book that is a little bit out of the ordinary.

Eowyn Ivey's To the Bright Edge of the World revisits the Alaskan landscape of the magical Snowchild in an engaging historical narrative which emerged through documents - letters, diary entries, articles etc. In comparison with The Snowchild, this style makes for a slower moving novel but one that is deeply resonant and worth the time.

I loved The Snow Child and I equally loved To the Bright Edge of the World. Eowyn Ivey's writing is so real yet magical you can imagine yourself in the depths of Alaska as you follow Allen and Sophie's stories. The book is written through letters, articles and journal entries. This novel tells the story not just of Allen on his expedition and that of his wife eagerly awaiting his next letter whilst immersing herself in her passion for photography and the issues that entails. It also tells the story of the native indians, a modern day friendship that forms and some local folklore woven in. The writing is beautiful and descriptive. I loved it and am looking forward to the authors next novel.

My rating - 4.5/5

To the Bright Edge of the World by Eowyn Ivey is a historical novel of Alaskan Frontier exploration.  The novel follows Colonel Allan Forrester leading the exploration group and his wife, Sophie, stationed in Vancouver while he is off in Alaska.

The novel is told in epistolary format wherein the husband and wife write letters to one another as well as filling in gaps through their respective journal entries.  The story is framed around a descendent of the Forresters who donates the letters and journals to a curator of a museum in Alaska.  They exchange letters back and forth which discusses the Forresters throughout this time.

I was fully immersed in all of the stories that were being told.  Whether it was the two pen pals discussing the Forresters, or the respective stories of Allan and Sophie - I was hooked.  

The author managed to make the Alaskan frontier come alive through the pages allowing me to imagine the pains, discomforts and joys of the characters.  

Every storyline was interesting in its own right, although Allan's was my favourite.  I don't usually love long descriptions of nature but in this case, every description felt like it was necessary to add to the setting and give the reader an idea of what an explorer would have gone through during the late 19th century.  

Every storyline felt distinct but was weaved beautifully into the narrative.

I was nervous about this novel because I generally don't like epistolatory novels as a storytelling format but this was done so well that I couldn't put it down.

Highly recommend, especially in the fall or winter time.

To the Bright Edge of the World, like Ivey’s first novel The Snow Child, is set in Alaska – but other than that, it’s a very different type of book. It tells the story of Colonel Allen Forrester who, in 1885, is commissioned to lead an expedition with the aim of navigating Alaska’s Wolverine River and charting previously unmapped territory. Through a series of journal entries we are able to join Allen and his small group of companions on their journey and are with them every step of the way as they struggle over difficult terrain, face harsh weather and encounter native tribes. It all feels so authentic that you could easily believe Allen Forrester was a real person and these were his real diaries – actually, he is a fictional character but it seems that Eowyn Ivey based him on a real-life explorer, Lieutenant Henry T. Allen, who led an expedition in that same year up the Copper River (reimagined as the ‘Wolverine River’ in the novel).

Although this book does not have the fairy tale feel of The Snow Child and is much more grounded in reality, myth and folklore still play an important part in the story. As they make their way up the Wolverine River, Allen and his men are followed by an Old Man who is said to be able to fly and are joined by a woman called Nat’aaggi who believes that her husband was an otter:

"– They believe it is a thin line separates animal and man, Samuelson said. – They hold that some can walk back & forth over that line, here a man, there a beast."

This is not just Allen’s story, however. It is also the story of Sophie, his wife, who had hoped to join her husband on his adventures but had to settle for being left behind at Vancouver Barracks. Desperately awaiting news, with no way of knowing if Allen is even alive or dead, it’s going to be difficult for Sophie to get through the months ahead. Looking for something to fill her days, she decides to take up photography and develops a passion for her new hobby, going to ever greater lengths to capture photographs of the wildlife and birds she sees around the barracks.

Sophie also keeps a journal, recording her thoughts and feelings so that she can share them with her husband when he returns, and these two journals – Sophie’s and Allen’s – form the bulk of the novel, one set of entries alternating with the other. I was interested in both and although Allen’s may sound much more exciting, I had no preference for one over the other. There were some passages from each journal that I found slightly tedious or where I felt that things were being dragged out for too long, but a few pages later I would be pulled back into the story again. I liked both characters, so that helped!

The 19th century stories of Allen and Sophie are interspersed with contemporary letters exchanged between Walter Forrester, their great-nephew, and Josh Sloan, the curator of a museum in Alaska. Walter has decided to make a gift of the Forrester journals and the other artefacts from the expedition to the museum – and we are given the opportunity to see some of these artefacts, which include photographs, illustrations, newspaper reports and fragments of documents. These are not always presented in chronological order, which is sometimes confusing, but it gives the overall effect of looking through a scrapbook or somebody’s private collection of memorabilia. It was also nice to watch a friendship developing between Walt and Josh, two men of different generations and backgrounds, living many miles apart.

Not knowing very much about Alaska and its history, I feel that I’ve learned a lot from this novel, as well as being entertained by a fascinating story.

I wanted to read this book because it was set in Alaska & fro some reason that place has a real hold on me. From reading books to watching TV Programmes, if it's set in Alaska that's a reason to take notice!

I have dipped in and out of this one so it has taken a while to reach the 'read' shelf. I think it will take a while for me to forget it. Allen Forrester has been commissioned to explore the uncharted & many say impassable Wolverine River. He sets off with his small band of men and his story is told through diary entries, letters and later comments. It is a dangerous mission and he sees many things he had never expected that caused him to change his views on many things.

Meanwhile at home his wife Sophie, finds herself stifled by what is expected of an army wife. Longing to be out exploring with her husband she starts out on her own mission- trying to capture wild birds on film at the dawn of photography.

This is a beautifully written book that captures the age and the environment. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me explore Allen & Sophie's world.

In 1885 Lieutenant Colonel Allen Forrester sets off with a small group of men to explore the Wolverine River on a strategic survey to open up the Alaskan wilderness to exploit the riches thought to be there. The story is loosely based on a real life expedition carried out by Lt Henry T Allen, and to add authenticity to her tale Ivey uses contemporary photos and diagrams, as well as fictional letters, diaries and newspaper reports. Forrester leaves behind his newly married wife Sophie and the love between them forms the emotional core of the novel. On one level it’s an Arctic adventure story, man battling nature, but this being Eowyn Ivey there are magical elements incorporated into the narrative when the group meet up with the native tribes. Meanwhile Sophie is embarking on her own adventure, a quest to discover her destiny and her place in the world. There was much I liked about the novel, particularly the adventure aspect of it, but I found Sophie’s story almost a distraction and nowhere near as interesting. The story moves back and forth between Forrester and his wife as each faces their very different hardships, but the two strands didn’t seem to integrate well. The Sophie episodes slowed the narrative and I could have done without them; the adventure story was strong enough to have stood alone.

"There is the feeling here that civilization is still just a speck, and it makes me feel small in a good way."

This book is bloody amazing. I don't normally give out 5 star reviews, or reveal my star rating at the beginning of the review, but To the Bright Edge of The World is definitely a 5 star worthy book. I already mentioned it in my February Favourite Books post, and now I've finally got round to giving it a proper review.

To the Bright Edge of the World is the second book by Eowyn Ivey, author of The Snow Child, which I reviewed here. I enjoyed The Snow Child but I think I like this one even more. Now that I'm writing it down though it's difficult to explain exactly what I like about it. It's a book that covers everything, yet doesn't let any theme slack. There's adventure, love, friendship, mystery, magic, motherhood, history and lots more. It also covers important themes like women's rights, homosexuality and racism, but without being preachy or heavy.

Mostly it's just Ivey's fantastic writing. This is a very ambitious story to tell but she just nails it. Her writing is beautiful and measured, but not so flowery that it distracts from the story. In The Snow Child Eowyn Ivey really brings alive the harsh but beautiful Alaskan country and she does the same in To the Bright Edge of the World. Allen and his team have to travel through an unbelievably harsh climate and landscape and at times it's almost painful to read as you can feel the cold coming off the page.

"This land has a vast and cold beauty. Sun everywhere glints off blue sea, ice, snow. The refraction of light is as sharp as the cry of the sea birds overhead."

It's not just the setting though, Ivey's characters are well-rounded, fascinating and unique yet relatable. It's mainly told through diary entries, which really puts you in touch with Sophie and Allen. I particularly liked Sophie, who is a woman ahead of her time. It was interesting and frustrating to see the daily obstacles she came up against.

"It is what they want of us, though, isn't it? A good woman is predictable, and seeks out a predictable life. They would have us kept safe and quiet and insipid."

To the Bright Edge of the World encompasses a lot of prejudices, especially towards the Native Americans, who are often treated as little better than animals by the interlopers. It's interesting how the relationships evolve when they get further into the wild and have to rely on the help of the native tribes.

I loved so many of the characters and their relationships. Even if I didn't quite like the character, they were believable and their relationships with others were a pleasure to read.

I love Sophie and Allen's relationship, you can really tell they love each other but it's not soppy or overpowering.

"Yet what of love? That is another, more solid thing; it is not tricked by fine lights or spirits. It is more of earth and time, like a river-turned stone."

I also enjoyed the relationship between Walt and Josh, the two characters writing to each other in the present as they discover Sophie and Allen's diaries. It's a lovely relationship between two apparently very different characters who connect over this history.

Another element that stood out for me was the way Ivey seamlessly mixed magic and reality. It's subtle and not overpowering but she interweaves folklore so naturally into the story that it doesn't jar or slow down the writing, and makes it all the more interesting.

This book is not a fast read; it's a slow-moving story but it feels perfectly paced, not rushing but revealing character and plot secrets at the exactly right time.

There is lots more I can say about To the Bright Edge of the World but I'd just ramble. It's great, go and read it now.

My Rating: 5/5

I received a digital copy of To the Bright Edge of the World via NetGalley in return for an honest review. My thanks to the author and publisher.

Several years ago, I read and subsequently fell in love with a book called The Snow Child. It was one of these books that felt like it had a little bit of magic sprinkled between the pages and one I still think of even now. I had high hopes for this book and although I found it incredibly well written and still has the components of love story, history, adventure and magical realism, it didn't quite have the same impact that The Snow Child did, for me.

Told through letters, diary entries and newspaper articles, this is the story of an exploration to chart Alaska in 1885 once the Americans had bought it from Russia. Colonel Allen Forrester leads the expedition of 2 men, an Indian woman and a dog through snow, ice, uncharted terrain and hostile natives. The harsh and unforgiving landscape is the perfect setting for this tale of hardship and survival so much so that I was able to feel the bitter cold and fatigue as they fight their way through melting ice, haunted valleys and unforgiving storms.


Waiting behind in the barracks is Allen's wife, Sophie, who found out she was pregnant just before the start of the expedition. A woman ahead of her time, Sophie is passionate about nature and learns photography rather than keeping house, much to the suspicion and disdain of the other army wives. I loved the relationship between Allen and Sophie; accepting of one another and encouraging of passions and talents; it was real, and vivid and tangible.

I found the magic brought about by Ivey's lyrical and poetic prose in The Snow Child not as evident in To the Bright Edge of the World, sadly. That's not to say that there wasn't a beautiful and evocative quality to the writing - there was, it just wasn't as abundant in my opinion and while I am equally happy with a character driven novel (person or landscape) as with a plot-driven book, this didn't quite manage to have the forward momentum for me at times.

What I did enjoy was the North American mythology but I do wish it had played a more important part as I really felt that it added something special and different.
I think I wanted to love this book more than I did. And that's not to say I didn't enjoy it - I did, very much. Perhaps it was a case of great expectations and it didn't quite hit the mark. Would I recommend? Yes, I absolutely would.

A slow-moving but compelling epistolary novel. The language was gorgeous and the slow-build-up of the plot was lovely.

This book shows again Eowyn Ivey’ s love for her home Alaska.
In her second novel she brings the history with her beautiful writing to live. Her writing is again vivid and authentic and pulls you into both characters. The book is based on journal entries from the early 19th century as well as the future. It brings you on a journey to the set out exploration of the Wolverine River showing the reader through vivid descriptions the wild Alaska and brings an insight to the way of living and believes of the native population. On the other hand you will experience the emotions and feelings of the Colonels wife, Sophie who did not join the team to explorer Alaska. Her journal entries are filled describing her time away from her husband, her emotions and passions, superstitions and fears.

As these two journals are the main focus of the book, you will also meet 2 other narrators who are living in the now and write letters to each other in regards to the journals entries and what it is like today in this part of Alaska.

I appreciated learning about the history in this book and the lovely details becoming vivid imaginations in my mind as part of the journey. I admired her way to bring the past and future, folklore, love, fear and emotions so brilliantly into a novel. You feel that she is writing about her home with passion and love.

For anyone loving historical fiction, this is the book for you. I personally, am not a huge fan of books in this genre. To mark this book as a 3 star read is my personal rating. I loved reading the story, but due to the genre it did not give me the “can’t put it down” feeling. For anyone who loves historical fiction, THIS will be a book that you should not want to miss!

To The Bright Edge of the World by Eowyn Ivey

I don't think my review will do this beautiful, gorgeous novel justice. I am going to make a new category of my reader's shelves all the stars in the world. Reading this masterpiece by Eowyn Ivey, thinking about it, still gives me a runner's high. My endorphin's are still buzzing with excitement every time I think about it. It was Soooooooooooooo good!
Here is an excerpt from the book:

THE UNDISCOVERED COUNTRY by Edmund Stedman, 1878

COULD we but know
The land that ends our dark, uncertain travel,
Where lie those happier hills and meadows
low,---Ah, if beyond the spirit's inmost cavil,
Aught of that country could we surely know,

Who would not go?

Might we but hear
The hovering angel's high imagined chorus,
Or catch, betimes, with wakeful eyes and clear,
One radiant vista of the realm before us,---

Ah, who would fear?

Were we quite sure
To find the peerless friend who left us lonely,
Or there, by some celestial stream as pure,
To gaze in eyes that were lovelit only, ----
This weary mortal coil, were we quite sure,

Who would endure?

This whole novel is written in breathtaking poetic prose. The story takes place in the most remote Alaskan territory in 1885. Lieut Col Allen Forrester and five other individuals are the first to travel and take pictures, map and take temperatures for the military. In the author's it is said that this novel was very much inspired by the real life journey into Alaska by Lieutenant Henry T. Allen. "His Report of an Expedition to the Copper, _Tanana and Koyubuk Rivers in the Territory of Alaska" was both a starting ground and a constant source of information. The author also cites, too many other references that were used to write this book.

There is so much vivid description of cascading waterfalls, canyons, mountains with their ever-white peaks. I felt like I was right there with these characters who come to life on every page. This is one of the best books I have ever read for its beauty. Splitting glaciers, soaring mountains, "gray rivers that roar down from the glaciers, mountains and spruce valleys as far as the eye can see. It is a grand, inscrutable wilderness. Never are the people here allowed to forget that each of us is alive only by a small thread."

I highly recommend this book for everybody. Especially, if you love a story well told. Lovers of the unforgiving remoteness of Alaska, before when it was populated with the indigenous Indians, before it was pillaged for it's metals and coal. The story, for which I have not even explored. I promise you won't be sorry for putting it ahead on your to be read list. This novel is by the same author who wrote "The Snow Child", which I am going to read next, only because this whole book took my breath away.

With many grateful thanks to Net Galley, Eowyn Ivey you are so talented and the Publisher for my treasured digital copy for a fair and honest review, which the pleasure has been all mine!

<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27917957-to-the-bright-edge-of-the-world" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img border="0" alt="To The Bright Edge of the World" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1465576791m/27917957.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27917957-to-the-bright-edge-of-the-world">To The Bright Edge of the World</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4823432.Eowyn_Ivey">Eowyn Ivey</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1867538944">4 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
This story is full of adventure and discovery as Colonel Alan Forrester is commissioned to go to the Wolverine River in Alaska, with just a few men, the year is 1885.<br /><br />This story tells of everything the men encountered, how his new wife Sophie got on without him while she stayed in the military barracks, and tells a simultaneous story, in modern day, of Forrester's great nephew and his handling of Forrester's artifacts and journals from the adventure<br /><br />I did like this very much, but not nearly as much as the author's The Snow Child<br /><br />Thank you NetGalley for the free download!
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/12851291-karen">View all my reviews</a>

I just loved this book. I read it in the middle of December after a year of amazing reads, and it stood out as a favorite. What struck me was the rich writing and fantastic character development in the story of a man who is tasked with charting a previously unnavigated portion of Alaska while his wife yearns to visit him and partake in his aventure with him. The setting was a main focus for the book and was so clearly described that I have a vivid image in my head of what they traveled through. There is so much to love in this book and I would especially recommend it to those who love epic adventure books, historical fiction, epistolary novels, strong female characters and anyone who loved The Endurance but wished for more women's involvement in the narrative.

This is another fantastic story by Eowyn Ivey, and I think I actually enjoyed this one even more than The Snow Child.

Essentially this is a story about a small team of explorers, tasked with mapping an area of wild Alaska in the late 19th century. There is also a parallel story about the wife of one of the explorers and how she copes with life in his absence. The story is told through diary entries, reports and newspaper articles, which are being complied in the modern day.

Like The Snow Child there is some magical realism, probably more so in this book, mainly regarding the folklore and superstitions of various Tribes encountered by the explorers along their way.

I loved it.

A most beautiful book in every possible way. Highly recommended to each single customer who dared to enter the store while I was downstairs!!!