The Fugitive Wife: A Novel
by Peter C. Brown
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Book Summary Information
Author: Peter C. BrownEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2007-01-17
ISBN: 0393329755
Number of pages: 432
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
Book Reviews of The Fugitive Wife: A Novel
Book Review: A Trip Through Nome's Gold Rush
Summary: 5 Stars
I picked up this book from the bargain table, and I really was not disappointed. The story follows Esther Crummey as she leaves her alcoholic husband in Minnesota and takes a job on a ship on its way to Nome, Alaska during the Gold Rush of 1901. Esther's husband manages to follow her to Alaska, where Esther needs to come to grips with what she needs to do - in light of having met a man who could possibly give her a life of happiness.
Although this synopsis sounds a bit trite and overdone, in the hands of Peter C. Brown it works well. More than anything is the place he has chosen to tell the tale - Alaska has a reputation of being rather exotic, and the Gold Rush period a time not very well known. Mr. Brown has done his research (supposedly his grandfather was in the Gold Rush, and he gleaned a lot of his knowledge from him as well as journals from that period), and it really comes through in the this novel. Having never been to Alaska, I felt as though I were there experiencing the tundra and creeks and rivers and beaches and the mud. I felt the chill and could see the men setting up their equipment and feel the hope of striking it rich. In this, a beautifully crafted novel.
As far as Esther's story is concerned, I was not all that impressed. It felt stilted and a bit dry, but then it was probably more true to life than most of us want to realize. The story of her husband, Leonard Crummey, was somehow much more enticing to me. Whereas Esther was simple, straightforward, and by the book, Leonard was complex, evolving, and complicated. To me, it seemed the bigger story involved Leonard more than Esther, and I enjoyed reading about him more than her. But that was just my opinion.
Overall, an easy to read book, almost escapism with the descriptions of Alaska, and engaging with characters that seem to come to life.
Summary of The Fugitive Wife: A Novel
?All about passion, whether for . . . romance or adventure, this sweeping debut renders poetically the dynamics of desire.??Kirkus Reviews
The year is 1900 in gold-prospecting Alaska. Essie, a Midwestern farm girl fleeing from a stormy marriage, joins up with prospectors bound for Nome, where the golden sands teem with dreamers, schemers, and high rollers. When Leonard, Essie's stubborn and volatile husband, travels north, astonishing scenes of pursuit, sacrifice, and crucial decision rise to a conclusion that is both surprising and inevitable. Powerfully evoking a past world and the variable territory of the heart, this novel establishes Peter C. Brown as a consummate storyteller. Reading group guide included.Historical Books
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