In Through Black Spruce, two very different worlds collide.

In one world, a hospitalized bush pilot named Will Bird reflects on his life. We see how battles with rye whiskey, warring families, and a rifle with a personality all its own led to his present situation. In another world, the pilot’s niece Annie travels through Toronto, Montreal, and New York fashion scenes in search of her missing sister.

At first glance, the two stories don’t seem to connect, but just give it time. Joseph Boyden weaves the stories together on multiple levels that feel satisfying as the book unfolds. He switches between the stories every chapter to create tension. The reader is always waiting for another chapter to find out what will happen next.

The main narrative takes place in and around Moose Factory and Moosonee. Having paddled to these towns and walked their streets, it was gripping to hear the land described so clearly. Little details—like taking a short-cut over the sand bar because the tide came in—add a deep sense of realism to the narrative.

Through Black Spruce is a complex story of the love that binds families together and the forces that would tear them apart.

Boyden, Joseph. Through Black Spruce. Viking, 2008.