The Pillagers' Guide to Arctic Pianos by Kendra Langford Shaw

About the Book:

In the far reaches of the Territory of the Arctic, the Spahr family lives on a fjord accessible only by kayak and float plane, in a landscape rapidly changing as glaciers melt and sea levels rise. Their home is Jubilation House, aptly named: they are a family of free spirit and full-hearted love, descendants of the homesteaders who came to this place in a reckless scheme to civilize the Glacial Front. They live off the grid in a converted fisherman's shack, selling pickled octopus and sea crops, barely scraping by. With every day, their livelihood seems ever more precarious.

Then one of their few neighbors dredges up a centuries-old piano, a vestige from the original homesteading expedition, when every family was required to haul a six-hundred-pound instrument as a sign of mannerly society—almost none made it to their final destination. Now, this intricately carved beauty has emerged, perfectly preserved from the frigid Arctic waters, and the antique treasure becomes a priceless collectors’ item. A new economic boom seizes the territory—piano hunting—and the Spahrs throw themselves into the quest with full-throated aplomb. But the costs of their possible salvation soon begin to mount.

My Review:

The unique harsh location of the extreme north sets the stage for this novel. What people would do to survive and thrive is amazing. The importance of family is a strong thread throughout. This is a good novel for readers who like an unusual setting and a focus on the meaning in the generations of life rather than exciting action. The pace is consistent and methodical and many of the characters are quirky. A good book for readers who like a novel a little out of the normal box.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

About the Author:

Kendra Langford Shaw holds an MFA from the University of Michigan, and has had fellowships at the MacDowell Colony, Yaddo, and the Vermont Studio Center. Her stories have appeared in the Antioch Review, StoryQuarterly, and The Mid-American Review. Born in Alaska, she is now a City Councilwoman in Billings, Montana, where she lives with her husband and two young children.

Pantheon, 304 pages.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent review.

(My star ratings: 5-An exceptional book, 4-Better than average, relevant and liked by me, 3-It is average, 2-It is below average and not liked by me, 1-It is practically unreadable.)