Black Woods, Blue Sky

Excuse me a second whilst I just wipe the tears away from my eyes.
I'm not even sure who I'm crying for Emaleen, Birdie, Arthur or Warren.
Possibly all of them.
Ivey's books always have a magical quality about them, and she is consistently amazing in her storytelling.
There's such warm hearted moments in this book, and heart breaking one's.
It's beautiful.

I really enjoyed The Snow Child so.i.had high hopes for this book

I truly was not disappointed what an immersive great read. I loved it

Thanks again for the opportunity to review

Birdie is something of a "wild child" (and got the nickname because she wanted to fly) but she has a child of her own, Emaleen. They live at an Alaskan roadside lodge where Birdie works tables and the bar. Drink and drugs are part of Birdie's life though she dotes on her daughter. Arthur is the quiet silent type and a recluse who rarely comes to town (such as it is). However he appears to know the land very well indeed. Many avoid him but Birdie becomes interested in him. He lives at a remote cabin in a wild area.

I was a little unsure of this book and the idea of "Beauty and the Beast reimagined" made me wonder just what this would be like. Equally I'd not read anything else by this author however I do like to find books that are fresh to me. The book follows the coming together of Arthur and Birdie and the consequences of that. I try and avoid reading much about the review copy books I get before I start them so that I am approaching them as an ordinary reader. Equally I do prefer not to give much away in reviews - I like to "discover" books for myself so my comments are quite general.

The setting of remote Alaska worked very well for me - wildlife, flowers and simply the grandeur of the country. However the real story is the people. There is quite a small cast in this book. Three I have already referred to however Warren must get a mention in this too. He is Arthur's father through adoption and his is a story that gradually gets told. Also featured are Syd and Della - they are not major parts but are significant in their ways.

While Birdie and Arthur are major players I have to say my favourite is Emaleen without doubt. All three of the main characters are very well written but I just loved Emaleen. This was a book that built up steadily for me and my enjoyment increased with that. I thought the last third of the book was exceptional. The feeling of completeness and development was wonderful and it just made me go "WOW". It really did seal my 5 star rating.