Wow, this book is a memoir like none I’ve ever read before. Hayes tells her own life story in a wild meander that skips back and forth across time, blending her recollections with Tlingit storytelling and lush descriptions of the land and local wildlife. The chronology being difficult to follow was never distracting, as that’s absolutely not the point of this book. That feeling is rare for me because usually I find the sense of time to be the make-or-break factor in whether a memoir will flow well for me. In this short but dense, rich text, the sense of place is the driver instead and it flows beautifully. This book was just so good, and I highly recommend you add this one to your TBR if you enjoy reading memoirs, or really even if you don’t, because this one is definitely different and it’s exceptional.⁣
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Cw for domestic abuse, alcoholism, suicide