Still Points North by Leigh Newman
I've been reading alot of memoirs lately. I'm studying the genre in hopes of writing my own memoir someday. A story about a girl growing up in Alaska peaked my interest.
Leigh Newman is a child growing up in Alaska, fishing for salmon with her father, in their secret spots only accessible in his float plane. A milestone for a kid in Alaska is catching her first king, a momentous occasion. But when her parents divorce and she has to spend her time between Anchorage where all is familiar and Baltimore where all is a mystery. Leigh struggles to fit in.
I loved the first part of this book told through the eyes of a little girl. Quite abruptly the story moved into adulthood, falling in love, getting married. Yes, all those things happen in a girl's life. The telling of the story however, suffered. To me it was as if a different writer stepped in to finish. I felt the story lacked direction. By the end of the book, I was left wondering what was the thread that was supposed to hold it all together.
Many things drew me to this story, Alaska, memoirs, the title. The author has a strong voice and a very easy writing style. But at the end I was left wondering what still pointed north.
I've been reading alot of memoirs lately. I'm studying the genre in hopes of writing my own memoir someday. A story about a girl growing up in Alaska peaked my interest.
Leigh Newman is a child growing up in Alaska, fishing for salmon with her father, in their secret spots only accessible in his float plane. A milestone for a kid in Alaska is catching her first king, a momentous occasion. But when her parents divorce and she has to spend her time between Anchorage where all is familiar and Baltimore where all is a mystery. Leigh struggles to fit in.
I loved the first part of this book told through the eyes of a little girl. Quite abruptly the story moved into adulthood, falling in love, getting married. Yes, all those things happen in a girl's life. The telling of the story however, suffered. To me it was as if a different writer stepped in to finish. I felt the story lacked direction. By the end of the book, I was left wondering what was the thread that was supposed to hold it all together.
Many things drew me to this story, Alaska, memoirs, the title. The author has a strong voice and a very easy writing style. But at the end I was left wondering what still pointed north.
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