Anangokaa

In the early 1800s, a group of Scottish settlers went to Canada, determined to make a new life. The settlement was struck by tragedy: first, weather that was far worse than they had been led to expect; and second, an outbreak of malaria leaving many dead.

This is not an easily read, heartwarming story of triumph over adversity. It is a story of struggling in a new land, of trying to build a home in a place far from where you once belonged and in the face of heartbreaking loss. The narrative centers on Flora MacCallum, a girl who loses her parents and the sister she was closest to. As her siblings try to carry on through their grief, she finds herself unable to speak, trapped by the horrors she has lived through.

Alam’s prose is beautiful, especially in describing the Canadian landscape. It only falls short when it has to bear up against action. In a few places, it feels trapped by its own beauty and by its tendency to fall into Flora’s thoughts. Overall, I would highly recommend this book for its heartbreak and humanity.