The raw emotions of three women in Bledsoe's fifth novel (after Biting the Apple
) lead to often explosive interactions among scientists, artists, and other lost souls marooned in Antarctica. A crash-landing and the discovery of a long-frozen body bonds Mikala Wilbo, a composer, to Rosie Moore, a cook beginning her third season at McMurdo research station. Rosie, a woman with nomadic tendencies and no familial ties, longs for a real home and swears this season will be her last. Mikala, meanwhile, is in Antarctica on an artist's grant but also has a powerful secret motive. After the crash survivors are rescued and transported via snowmobiles to McMurdo, Mikala acknowledges her crush on Rosie, who is lusting after someone else. Then arrives Alice Neilson, a geologist who rooms with Rosie to perhaps untoward results. Bledsoe digs into themes of individuality and lonesomeness, and the idea of safety in numbers, and though the narrative's introspectiveness can at times be as daunting as the Antarctic's harsh climate, Bledsoe finds the spark of life amid the ice and desolation. (May)
