Eowyn Ivey

Eowyn Ivey's debut The Snow Child was a finalist for the Pulitzer and an international bestseller. Her new novel is To the Bright Edge of the World.

From her Q&A with Hannah Beckerman at the Guardian:

Your new novel follows a military expedition to map Alaskan territory in 1885. How much of that story is based in historical fact?

A fair amount. There was a real expedition in 1885 led by Henry T Allen. I relied a great deal on his official reports and then there are diaries and letters by one of his expedition members. But I would take threads of things that were said or documented and develop them in ways that would fit into my Wolverine river fantasy world.

The novel comprises fictional journals, letters, photographs and museum caption cards. Was that structure informed by the primary source material?

Yes. Letters and documents add credibility to what would otherwise be an unbelievable story, so I thought they would make it seem more authentic, even though some of the things that happen are...[read on]

Learn more about the book and author at Eowyn Ivey's website and blog.

Writers Read: Eowyn Ivey.

--Marshal Zeringue