One of the very compelling features in a good novel can be place, where an author writes with such depth and attention to the environment inhabited by his characters that the location becomes a character all its own. I just finished The Ice Bridge by D.R.Macdonald, and was amazed at how quickly he had me immersed in the landscape of Cape Breton in Nova Scotia. This is an outstanding book in so many ways, not least of which was my having moved to the harsh, wintry landscape of Cape Seal Road right along with one of the main characters, Anna.
The intensely rich descriptions of the land and the nearby sea in every mood and facet imaginable captured my imagination. Anna is an artist, moved here from California, leaving her soon-to-be ex to rediscover her artistic self. Her drawings of the landscape, animals, and the many found objects she retrieves from both water and shore, further expand the reader’s feel for Cape Breton.
The story of her settling into the “weather-wracked” house once belonging to next door neighbor Red Murdock’s grandmother is a story in and of itself. While the jacket flap is right in saying it’s a story about love after love, it is also a story about a fading Scottish culture which once thrived in the area, and the changes that modern life has exacted on its residents. Each character in this small, somewhat forgotten community adds to the sense of place in Macdonald’s novel. He is, in my opinion, a brilliant writer who has seemingly effortlessly made me care about his characters in this slowly unfolding tale.
When Anna does something extremely foolish, it is hard to criticize her because the author has already portrayed her so completely and compassionately that we can only wonder what would make her do such a thing. The characters are real, and the conflict builds slowly through the friendships, past loves, danger, pain, and wonder of them all. And always the sea and sky, forest and field, so beautifully, beautifully rendered, from the challenges of winter through the final warming of spring in July.
What a masterful writer! What I also loved about this novel was Macdonald builds the suspense to the very end, and even with the ending given us, one can still wonder what might happen next. This is one where I was sorry to close the book and leave what I’d come to love in Cape Breton.
Ah, how right you are…now, I have to read The Ice Bridge! π
LikeLiked by 2 people
I promise, Kitty, you won’t sorry! Especially as you love winter, and so much of the story takes place in that season. Let me know what you thought when you’re done. π
LikeLiked by 1 person
This sounds fabulous, I love a good sense of place, particularly if it’s a wintry one!
LikeLiked by 2 people
If I hadn’t decided to a post on it, I was going to post something on your blog about it! You were one of the first people I thought of as I read this book; I knew you would just love it. I hope you can get it in the UK.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I can, I’ve just added it to my wish list π
LikeLiked by 1 person
Woo hoo!
LikeLiked by 1 person
The place is the canvas upon which the story is painted in words. This sounds like a wonderful book, Jeanne!
LikeLiked by 1 person
One of the best I’ve read in a while … now I’m looking for another among my library book sale selections that will meet those standards. π
LikeLiked by 1 person