Crummey’s prose is compelling enough to pair with the languorous nature of the plot, and even though Evered and Ada’s fate becomes steadily more secure as they gain skill and knowledge of survival, there is an urgency to each page, each probe into the other’s psyche. Most natural of the entire novel is the inevitable but perfectly paced erosion of innocence. To care about the plot – and whether or not Evered and Ada survive – the reader has to care about the characters themselves. The beautiful language is what keeps the reader moving forward, since the daily tasks often repeat themselves and the danger of starvation loses its luster after too long as a threat. Michael Crummey has fashioned a survival tale out of introspective musings and spellbinding settings, meshing both brother’s and sister’s interiority with the wildness and unpredictability of the landscape around them. a deeply emotional and moving portrait of human desires, temperaments, and existence in the face of both mundane and extreme situations.
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