CROSSING THE WATER: THE ALASKA-HAWAII TRILOGIES

CROSSING THE WATER: THE ALASKA-HAWAII TRILOGIES
Author: Irving Warner
Copyright 2009
Pleasure Boat Studio: A Literary Press
ISBN: 978-1-929355-51-9
Trade Paperback $ 16
200 pages
Fiction/ Short Stories
Most of us probably possess the misconceptions of life in Alaska or Hawaii. We marvel at the picturesque views without really considering the reality of everyday life in either of these states. We are victims of the media, truly romanticizing our ideals of these disconnected possessions of our country.
With our country celebrating the 50th anniversaries of statehood for Alaska and Hawaii, this short collection shows the realistic aspect of life in both states. This is definitely not a glamorous description in either setting.
“The Lost River Trilogy” is about living in the remote areas in Alaska and the people who live there year-round. These people seem to fall into two categories, those who are hiding from a past and those who prefer to be isolated from the general population. Also, the realism of life during the unfrozen times of the years is not that appealing after you read this set of three related stories.
The strength of “The Lost River Trilogy” is its realism. It is easy to imagine these characters through the author’s mastery of description. The actions are all too vivid at times. People do not always show their best aspects. Also, unusual is “The Bridge” connecting these two trilogies.
“The Island Trilogy” is different in that the focus is not on what people normally see or think about when visiting Hawaii. The reality of life, or survival, brings up how humans relate to each other and to their environment and the fluidness of time.
Irving Warner has an eclectic background and actually has lived in both Alaska and Hawaii.
In a writing style resembling John Steinbeck, these stories are mastery woven and interact much like the two states themselves. The people’s stories in CROSSING THE WATER are what make this collection both unusual and exceptional.
　
By: Teri Davis
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