North Sun by Ethan Rutherford

 

In the late 1800's, whaling was an industry that employed hundreds of men.  In New Bedford, no family is more prominent than the Ashleys.  Captain Arnold Lovejoy has just returned to New Bedford after an unsuccessful whaling trip.  He is more than ready to be employed by the Ashleys to take their ship, the Esther, on a journey that will end in the Chukchi Sea.  The Ashley's son-in-law had gone there on a whaling expedition and never returned although the family had received a letter from him.  They want Lovejoy to go, find him and bring him home.  Any whales he finds along the way will be bonus money.

The captain hires a crew and sets off.  The go down along the Atlantic Coast, around the Cape, and back up the Pacific side.  At first they find no whales but as they near their destination, whales are found in plenty.   The sailors are happy with their finds but once they get to their destination, they worry that they will get iced in and have to spend the winter on land.  The captain and an Ashley family friend leave the boat and the crew and head out to find the Ashley's son-in-law.

Things are not all rosy.  Two young boys, brothers, are targeted as the prey of a huge man on board who is a pedophile.  The boys are the only ones who see a strange figure arrive,  This figure is half man, half bird and known as the Sorrel.  He tells the boys stories of the sea, how to be safe and generally helps them while refusing to disclose his own mission.  What will happen?

This is Ethan Rutherford's debut novel and it was listed as a finalist for the National Book Awards for Fiction.  Prior to that, he wrote stories that were published in various magazines.  The book is written in short chapters and has a strange, mystic feel to it.  It explores the themes of environmentalism, man's disregard for his exploitation of the environment, man's cruelty and the love between brothers.  This book won't be for everyone as there is a lot of violence, both against the various animals the crew encounters, and against other men and the boys.  The ending will leave the reader wondering if it is an allegory for what can befall humanity in the coming years.  This book is recommended for literary fiction readers.