Published by Random House Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Literary Fiction, Magical Realism, Retelling, Romance
Format: ARC, eBook
WOWZA! Black Woods, Blue Sky was an enthralling, thought provoking, and emotion evoking book. I love Eowyn Ivey’s writing, her descriptions, her use of nature, and the Alaskan setting. I marveled at how she showcases both the beauty and harshness of nature. Black Woods, Blue Sky contains love, beauty, loss, heart, soul, acceptance, tragedy, and nature. For me this book was about both love and transformation. It shows how those we let into our lives change us and alter our lives forever. This book also depicts many forms of love – the love of a mother for her daughter, the love of a couple for a young boy who they come to love and raise, the love of nature, and romantic love.
Birdie is barely keeping it together in the beginning of this book. She is a single mother who must bring Emaleen, her daughter, to work with her. Birdie longs for a better life for her and her daughter and has happy memories of when she lived in nature as a child. When Arthur Neilsen finds Emaleen after she gets lost in the woods, Birdie finds herself falling for the soft-spoken recluse. Soon she and Emaleen move to Arthur’s isolated cabin deep in the woods. Being with Arthur, living off the land, and exploring the mountain is like a dream, a fairy tale in fact. But dreams can become nightmares!
What an emotional pull this book had for this reviewer. I felt for all the characters and had sympathy and empathy for all of them. Emaleen stole the show for me with her innocence and acceptance. My heart broke for Warren, and I wanted to give him a hug many times while reading this book. I appreciated how the author showed both the beauty and tragedy of loving someone. This book also touches on nature vs. nurture, instincts, and consequences. There was such beauty, love, isolation, and tragedy in this book.
As with all of her books, Black Woods, Blue Sky was beautifully written and transported me to a different world. I fell for all the characters hook line and sinker. Life is not a fairy tale no matter how much we want it to be.
Thank you to Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
