There is nothing like 90-degree weather outside to make me pick up a book set in the frozen tundra of the Arctic. It is something that I’ve done the past couple of years, don’t ask me why, it just seems to happen.

I have had my eye on The Wolf in the Whale for some time now. I’m intrigued by the setting, the clash of cultures, the what if of history. We know that the Viking and the Inuit were in the same area at the same time. Brodsky explores what might have happened when and if these two cultures collided, and she has crafted an enchanting fictional tale around this chance meeting.

I was overjoyed that Brodsky took her time, let me get to know Omat and the rest of the family; she dropped a few surprises along the way that I did not see coming. I was involved in Omat’s life long before the action started…and when it did, I was primed for the ride.

The Wolf in the Whale was a perfect combination of history, mythology, and story. Brodsky’s writing captured my interest and pulled me into Omat’s world and out of my own. I’ve always had a love of history and mythology, for me the two are closely intertwined, however, some cultures have hogged the spotlight over the years. I really appreciate that Brodsky has initiated me into a new-to-me mythology, one that is as fascinating and complex as any of the old standbys. It never ceases to amaze me, the commonalities that are shared from one to the other; it is these shared features that make the differences stand out all the more, where you can see the priorities, hopes and fears of a culture.

Now to go and find some more Brodsky for my reading list.


*4.5 Stars

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The Wolf in the Whale

By Jordanna Max Brodsky