Review
WL Rating
I opened this book late one night a few months back, pushed through about 15 pages and promptly fell asleep. In hindsight, I think the combination of beach fatigue, red wine and dense writing conspired to mimic an Ambien. Regardless, I left the book on my nightstand and there it stayed until I revisited it a couple days ago, this time without the fatigue and red wine. The dense writing, however, was still there, laid out in a cadence that, for me, lives somewhere between a Scotsman’s brogue and Yoda-like musings. Despite the book’s archaic voice, The Sea Runners is an addictive read that tells the story of four Swedes who risk a 1,200 mile, mid-Winter canoe ride from Alaska to Astoria Oregon. Based on a true story, Ivan Doig slowly describes the dangerous plight of these Swedes who lived as indentured workers at the hands of mid-19th Century Russians in what was then Russian America. Through one Swede’s clever manipulation of the other three, all four wind up fleeing their Russian captors in a stolen Tlingit canoe. Forced to brave the elements, treacherous surf, a shortage of food, and hostile locals, the Swedes slowly make their way down the coast to American-controlled Astoria. While the book is not an easy read, it is a worthwhile effort. After a dozen or so pages, your head gets in tune with the language and the story slowly begins to unfold. This book isn’t for everyone, but if you enjoy richly textured reads, then you won’t be disappointed by The Sea Runners. (October 2009)
The Sea Runners - Ivan Doig
