The Last Whaler

Reeves (Falling Through the New World) spins a dramatic tale of survival at a frigid whaling station in 1937 Norway. Botanist Astrid Handeland accompanies her whaler husband, Tor, on his arctic beluga hunt, hoping to heal the rift between them after the death of their four-year-old son, Birk, who drowned in Oslo’s harbor on Astrid’s watch. As Astrid studies the arctic flora, her depression is exacerbated by the harsh weather conditions and the cramped living quarters she and Tor share with his crew. After Astrid gets unexpectedly but happily pregnant, the couple delays their return home to spend a couple of weeks alone. The situation quickly becomes dire after they fail to reach the rendezvous point with their ship, forcing them to shelter in their cabin through the winter with dangerously low rations and no medical care. Told through alternating viewpoints—Astrid’s in letters to Birk and Tor’s after he discovers those letters 10 years later—the story is packed with revelations about the couple’s efforts to cope with their grief. This emotionally rich historical will keep readers turning the pages. (Sept.)