Blown Away by “The Wind Is Not a River”

A few months ago, Annie gushed about Brian Payton's historical novel The Wind Is Not a River, told in the alternating voices of a reporter covering the Japanese invasion of Alaska's Aleutian Islands during WWII, and his wife, who goes on a quest to find him when his plane is shot down.  Sounds exciting and romantic, right?  Well buzz surrounding this book has only gotten better! 

A STARRED review from Library Journal says: "This moving and powerfully written novel explores themes of war, life and death, morality, and love in a unique World War II battleground that very few people outside Alaska know about or remember. VERDICT Payton, known for his nonfiction works Shadow of the Bear and The Ice Passage, has written a suspenseful, beautifully researched title that readers will want to devour in one sitting. As a nearly lifelong inhabitant of Alaska and having spent three years on Adak in the Aleutians, this reviewer was particularly gratified by the accuracy of the author's portrayal of the land and people of the 'birthplace of the winds.' Bravo!"

And from Booklist: "Part adventure tale, part love story, this beautifully written novel offers a moving portrait of a couple whose lives are forever changed by the only battle of WWII to take place on American soil…. Payton, in the loveliest of prose, illuminates a little-known aspect of WWII while portraying a devoted couple who bravely face down the isolation, pain, and sacrifice of wartime."

Now that you've heard from the ultimate triumvirate in all things literary, you definitely can't miss out on this book. 

-Amanda