Bookshop Manager Ruth was lucky enough to receive an early copy of Black Woods, Blue Sky by Eowyn Ivey…
Wild, ferocious, stark, and filled with wonder, Eowyn Ivey’s new novel ‘Black Woods, Blue Sky’ is truly magnificent, an incredible read.
Having adored both The Snow Child and To The Bright Edge of the World, which Eowyn Ivey came to Booka to talk about back in 2016 (oh my days – such a dream event!). Black Woods, Blue Sky got bumped to the top of my ‘books I’m desperate to read’ list after author Liz Hyder rave reviewed it! So I was incandescent with delight when the lovely folks at Tinder Press sent me a proof.
What I’ve always adored about Eowyn’s writing is its strong and visceral sense of place, and this new book is no exception. Black Wood, Blue Sky is very much a love song to Alaska, its danger and its beauty. It’s also the story of Birdie and Emaleen, single mother and daughter, carving out a life on the edge of the world.
Birdie is a free spirit. Her love for Emaleen never in doubt, but the life she wants is a fierce joy, perilous, wild and costly.
When Arthur, a quietly spoken loner, meets Birdie they are drawn together by desire and a mutual longing for love and family. Birdie’s hunger for freedom matches Arthur’s own. His strange ways call to her. He has a gentle manner with her daughter, and Birdie sees the future she has always longed for, wild and free, with him.
Ignoring the warnings of all who know them, believing she is prepared for whatever the wilderness brings, Birdie and Emaleen go to live with Arthur in his remote cabin, far off in the Alaskan mountains.
But Arthur’s true, untamed nature is just beneath the surface. A savage secret which threatens to upend all Birdie knows.
A tale of survival, Black Woods, Blue Sky captures the fragile balance of nature between life and death. I read it wonderstruck and sick with dread.
It’s also a story about family; those who love us, regardless of blood, and how the place that ‘made’ us, rooted in our hearts, will always be home.
A love story, a fairytale, a tale of horror and savagery, redemption and hope. Unbelievably beautiful and heartbreaking, I was bereft when it ended. Make a note of this one, it’s a future classic.
Publishing 11th February 2025
We are delighted to be offering signed copies for pre-order now! Get your copy: Black Woods, Blue Sky – Signed Copy | Booka Bookshop