"A fairy tale is a lie that tells the truth." —Unknown
Remember, ages ago, when Rae taught us about Weltschmerz via Sheldon Cooper? (Ahh, Sheldon!) If you need a refresher, don’t worry. It’s been a minute. Weltschmerz is the depression that arises from comparing the world as it is to a hypothetical idealized world. In my idealized world, I would have read The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey when I bought myself and Rae a copy. (Rae blogged about Ivey’s debut novel a week or two later.) In the world as it is, I’m just now experiencing the Pulitzer Prize finalist’s writing in her latest Black Woods, Blue Sky. Someone, anyone, help me bridge the gap.
Ivey’s latest protagonist, Birdie, tries to bridge the gap between her reality— young single mom who struggles with the weight of parenthood while trying to make ends meet as a bartender in a remote Alaskan lodge—and the world she dreams of living in, where gorgeous (and dangerous) nature is front and center. Where her wild spirit can roam free. She craves a faraway place where time and rules don’t exist. Not surprisingly, Birdie is attracted to a recluse named Arthur. Arthur not only rescues her daughter Emaleen when she’s lost in the woods, but he also lives underneath the blue sky in the black woods permanently. When Birdie and Emaleen move to Arthur’s small cabin deep in the Alaskan forest, they experience both the magical and the mystical. They also experience firsthand the power of hidden identity. Black Woods Blue Sky is aptly referred to as “a dark fairytale.” Pick up Ivey’s latest and read on if you love exquisite writing and enthralling storytelling. Read on in search of a lie that tells the truth.
P.S. I hate to even say this: I suspect this book isn’t for everyone. If you are a literal reader who struggles with suspending reality, this may not be your cup of tea. I wish I could drink it all over again.
Posted by Tracy