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To the Bright Edge of the World

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To the Bright Edge of the World

By: Eowyn Ivey
Narrated by: Christine Lakin, John Glouchevich, Kiff Vandenheuvel
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Set in the Alaskan landscape that she brought to stunningly vivid life in THE SNOW CHILD (a Sunday Times bestseller, Richard and Judy pick and finalist for the Pulitzer Prize), Eowyn Ivey's TO THE BRIGHT EDGE OF THE WORLD is a breathtaking story of discovery set at the end of the nineteenth century, sure to appeal to fans of A PLACE CALLED WINTER.

'Stunning and intriguing... the reader finishes it richer and wiser' Rosamund Lupton, author of Sister and The Quality of Silence

Lieutenant Colonel Allen Forrester receives the commission of a lifetime when he is charged to navigate Alaska's hitherto impassable Wolverine River, with only a small group of men. The Wolverine is the key to opening up Alaska and its rich natural resources to the outside world, but previous attempts have ended in tragedy.

Forrester leaves behind his young wife, Sophie, newly pregnant with the child he had never expected to have. Adventurous in spirit, Sophie does not relish the prospect of a year in a military barracks while her husband carves a path through the wilderness. What she does not anticipate is that their year apart will demand every ounce of courage and fortitude of her that it does of her husband.

(P)2016 Hachette Audio©2016 Eowyn Ivey Fiction Genre Fiction Historical Fiction Literary Fiction Marriage Alaska Military
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Critic reviews

A clever, ambitious novel
A stunning and intriguing novel combining the epic adventurous sweep of Alaska with minutely beautifully observed details - the reader finishes it wiser and richer (Rosamund Lupton)
A dazzling depiction of love, endurance, courage and wonder, and a worthy successor to THE SNOW CHILD (Ron Rash)
Absorbing... a superior page turner
Absorbing... their love for each other is beautifully rendered
If I read another novel this year that I love as much as this I will be entirely surprised. This is a very special book indeed and Eowyn Ivey is an incredibly gifted writer, bringing to us all the wonder, beautiful strangeness and fragility of the Alaska she loves (Kate Atherton)
Absorbing and highly imaginative... Ivey, clearly a writer of prodigious talent, effortlessly knits these elements together to create an utterly enchanting read. Part intrepid adventure, part deeply affecting romance, this first-class novel is, at its heart, a love letter to the 'vast and cold beauty' of the last frontier
Enchanting... a fascinating, adventurous tale
A rich and involving story of endurance, love and the Alaskan wilderness that captured me from the off
Charming, whimsical and sometimes heat-breaking
Entrancing... In this splendid adventure novel, Ivey captures Alaska's beauty and brutality, not just preserving history, but keeping it alive
Ivey's prose glitters...if this one doesn't win her a major award, I'll eat my trapper's hat
Unique... absorbing
Beautifully lyrical
The precision of such descriptions of the natural world ground the novel in a gritty verisimilitude that then allows Ivey to build a fanciful, daring imaginative edifice: the meticulous realism of the foundation allows the fabulous elements of her fiction to soar
All stars
Most relevant

Where does To the Bright Edge of the World rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

It must be in the top fifth!

Who was your favorite character and why?

The main character, Sophie Forrester. She is possibly not the most plausible character considering when this book is set but the isolation and wildness of the setting allows her to be a fully developed, multi-dimensional character. She is an original creation and I liked her very much. Reminiscent of Anne (of Green Gables) in some ways.

Have you listened to any of the narrators’s other performances? How does this one compare?

Not that I remember.

If you made a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

This would make a good film I think! The tagline would be something about nests or perhaps light.

Any additional comments?

Interesting detail on early photography, well researched. I also enjoyed the scenery immensely.

Lovely imagery

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Thoroughly engaging storytelling in a class of its own. Narration perfect. The best book I've listened to/read in a long time.

Simply outstanding.

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I adored the snow child and hoped to like this as much. It may have exceeded my expectations. Such a wonderful story skilfully woven between the narrators and historical articles. Ivey is a superb writer. This may be in my top 5 of all time

Excellent

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I was so sorry to reach the end of this book. The story itself, the quality of the writing, and the voices of the performers added up to make this the best audiobook I have listened to in ages. I cannot recommend it enough.

I was so sorry to reach the end!

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Having read Snow Child, I fell in love with Ivy’s style. I loves how she completely takes the reader on a journey. I found it fascinating and beautiful at the same time. I really could imagine Alaska back then.

Beautifully written and narrated

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