The Raven's Gift

The Raven’s Gift

Don Rearden

ISBN: 978-0-14-328749-3

July 2013

*This is from an ARC copy I got through Librarything*

5 Stars

John and Anna Morgan are looking for adventure and to make a difference when they take jobs teaching in a Yup’ik Eskimo village in the Alaskan tundra. Not long after arriving however, a fatal epidemic spreads and without any help near chaos soon erupts. Fearing the other survivors’ hunger John fleas in the hopes of finding somewhere safe. Along his journey he finds companionship with a young blind Eskimo girl and an elderly woman who will help him in ways he couldn’t have imagined.

In the beginning the formatting was annoying and I was sure it would be problematic throughout. Four stars was a pretty firm rating until I realized I didn’t notice the format anymore and it turns out that it was exactly how the story needed to be told. The depth of the relationships and meaning of the story line would have been lacking if it would have been told in another way. That is this reader’s opinion anyhow. Speaking of which, the characters are amazing.  These are characters I would want to walk across the tundra with. The plot is as great as the characters. A story that teaches me something new or makes me want to learn something new is always the best kind.  Those are the type of books that stay with me forever.

Of course I will recommend this one and pass it on.