Review: The Wind is Not A River by Brian Payton

Publisher: Ecco
Pages: 320

Received: Received a copy from Harper Collins Canada in exchange for an honest review

Release Date: January 7, 2014
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Goodreads Synopsis:

A gripping tale of survival and an epic love story in which a husband and wife-separated by the only battle of World War II to take place on American soil-fight to reunite in Alaska's starkly beautiful Aleutian Islands.

Following the death of his younger brother in Europe, journalist John Easley is determined to find meaning in his loss, to document some part of the growing war that claimed his own flesh and blood. Leaving behind his beloved wife, Helen, after an argument they both regret, he heads north from Seattle to investigate the Japanese invasion of Alaska's Aleutian Islands, a story censored by the U.S. government.

While John is accompanying a crew on a bombing run, his plane is shot down over the island of Attu. He survives only to find himself exposed to a harsh and unforgiving wilderness, known as "the Birthplace of Winds." There, John must battle the elements, starvation, and his own remorse while evading discovery by the Japanese.

Alone in their home three thousand miles to the south, Helen struggles with the burden of her husband's disappearance. Caught in extraordinary circumstances, in this new world of the missing, she is forced to reimagine who she is-and what she is capable of doing. Somehow, she must find John and bring him home, a quest that takes her into the farthest reaches of the war, beyond the safety of everything she knows.

A powerful, richly atmospheric story of life and death, commitment and sacrifice, The Wind Is Not a River illuminates the fragility of life and the fierce power of love.

My Review:

Well, what a story this was, bringing me to a time period where there is a lot written about and yet at the same time a part of this war that is relatively unknown (at least to me). What I really liked was that this was a story about someone who is working to reveal what is really happening during the war instead of someone fighting in it. There is so much power in Brian Payton's writing that makes you want to stay with these characters he has created.

I absolutely loved the chapters showing Helen dealing with the loss of her husband and her commitment to finding out anything she can about where he is and how he is doing. The chapters from Helen's point of view are so amazing, it's hard to believe someone would go through the things she did for one person. It really makes you believe in love and sacrifice for that one person, and she is such an inspirational character for me.

Not only is Helen's story inspirational though, so is John's, he is an ordinary guy that has been thrust into the most extraordinary situation. His story is all about going out into the most dangerous place to show the public what is actually happening and trying to expose the truth, instead of letting the government hide the grittiest details. I loved John's journey and was surprised at everything he learned, but even what Helen learned on her journey of finding John.

This was more than just a book about war, it is really about how strong love can be, despite being far apart with no way to contact one another, these two get through believing in the other and remembering their love. This is a very powerful and emotional story that will make all readers want to find a love worth fighting for like Helen and John's. 

Review: The Signature of All Things by Elizabeth Gilbert

Publisher: Viking Adult
Pages: 512

Received: Received an ecopy from the publisher through Netgalley/Edelweiss

Release Date: October 1, 2013
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Goodreads Synopsis:

A glorious, sweeping novel of desire, ambition, and the thirst for knowledge, from the # 1 New York Times bestselling author of Eat, Pray, Love and Committed.

In The Signature of All Things, Elizabeth Gilbert returns to fiction, inserting her inimitable voice into an enthralling story of love, adventure and discovery. Spanning much of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, the novel follows the fortunes of the extraordinary Whittaker family as led by the enterprising Henry Whittaker—a poor-born Englishman who makes a great fortune in the South American quinine trade, eventually becoming the richest man in Philadelphia. Born in 1800, Henry's brilliant daughter, Alma (who inherits both her father's money and his mind), ultimately becomes a botanist of considerable gifts herself. As Alma's research takes her deeper into the mysteries of evolution, she falls in love with a man named Ambrose Pike who makes incomparable paintings of orchids and who draws her in the exact opposite direction—into the realm of the spiritual, the divine, and the magical. Alma is a clear-minded scientist; Ambrose a utopian artist—but what unites this unlikely couple is a desperate need to understand the workings of this world and the mechanisms behind all life.

Exquisitely researched and told at a galloping pace, The Signature of All Things soars across the globe—from London to Peru to Philadelphia to Tahiti to Amsterdam, and beyond. Along the way, the story is peopled with unforgettable characters: missionaries, abolitionists, adventurers, astronomers, sea captains, geniuses, and the quite mad. But most memorable of all, it is the story of Alma Whittaker, who—born in the Age of Enlightenment, but living well into the Industrial Revolution—bears witness to that extraordinary moment in human history when all the old assumptions about science, religion, commerce, and class were exploding into dangerous new ideas. Written in the bold, questing spirit of that singular time, Gilbert's wise, deep, and spellbinding tale is certain to capture the hearts and minds of readers.

My Review:

I believe that Elizabeth Gilbert has a great writing style, she really gets into the mind of her characters and readers get to see that person grow. In this book, you follow people in the Whittaker family, mainly Henry and his daughter Alma. I really loved Alma's story and her growth over the book, she was an interesting character with such an amazing mind.

This is a long book and I will say that it took me quite a bit of time to get through it but there is so much information and the book chronicles such a large span of years. Alma loses herself in her research, she has learned so much from her parents and has a very scientific view of the world, she is intrigued by everything around her and continually wants to study nature.

Alma eventually falls in love with a man, Ambrose, who is so different from what she is used to and yet she is so intrigued by this man. I really loved the relationship between Ambrose and Alma is described beautifully, both of these characters have such a unique view of the world and it is their minds that bring these two together. Alma learns a lot from Ambrose about love and life, even though at times she may be disappointed with what she finds. The connection that Elizabeth Gilbert writes for these two is a connection that many dream of. Alma and Ambrose have such a spiritual connection that is so beautiful.

This book goes all over the world during some of the most difficult times, great locations that are filled with many interesting characters that really help Alma along over the years. The things Alma learns along the way is really history in the making, a lot of interesting ideas pertaining to human nature. There is also the undertone of science and religion becoming at odds with one another in this book, Elizabeth Gilbert took a very interesting topic to many people and created so many lives around it. But the characters are really what made the book, I have always loved characters that question everything and that is exactly who Alma was. 

HAPPY NEW YEAR

I know I'm a bit late in the game with this one but I am wishing you all a very Happy New Year. I'm getting myself back into the swing of things and am trying to catch up on a lot of reviews and reading. Hopefully this new year will be a great new start for me.

I've been falling behind lately with so much going on in my life. I'm just going to keep at my own pace and hopefully I will get back to where I was before. I've slowed things down a bit for myself because of some stress and some other projects on the go, but I definitely don't want to completely disappear. My new years resolution is just to keep working at it as best as I can but not to let blogging take over my life.