Flight of the Goose
Lesley Thomas
Far Eastern Press
Reviewed by Carianne Carleo-Evangleist
Despite being a fictional account, Flight
of the Goose by Lesley Thomas is an interesting insight into the
cultures and issues at hand in Alaska.
It isn’t often that an author manages to successfully blend his or her
roots
into a fictional story that will be of interest to those unfamiliar
with the
region and/or culture.
Often when an author goes out of his or her way to include
information in an Author’s Note, it’s because the story itself has not
succeeded in conveying the information, but this was not the case when
it came
to the role of women in Flight of the
Goose. The women are shown to be important not just once or twice,
but
throughout the course of the story. This, as well as the author’s style
helps
to add continuity to a story which could otherwise seem fragmented.
I enjoyed the way the author brought real world issues into
a novel, which really brought the characters to life. The environmental
concerns also served as a way to highlight the marked differences in
the way
issues are looked at by different groups. Although it made this reader
stop to
consider the effect of global warning on the Eskimos, it was subtle
enough that
it did not interrupt the overall flow of the story.
In looking at themes of the story, there are two which are
the most prominent: maturity/growth and restoration. As a reader, I
grew along
with Kayuqtuk and Leif and held out hopes for their success.
Individually and
as a pair, these characters were written in such a manner that those of
us who
are completely unfamiliar with Inupiaq culture could identify. I also
felt a
strong connection with Willy, not as a hunter but knowing what it’s
like to try
and hang on to a world that is changing before your eyes. In many ways,
I
connected him with Roland of Gilead, of Stephen King’s Dark Tower
Series.
Finally, I think the Inupiaq glossary was a wise inclusion
as it allowed the reader to quickly reference unfamiliar words rather
than
spend time looking them up.
This was a wonderfully written, engaging story and I look
forward to reading more of the author’s work.