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The Wind Is Not a River
The Wind Is Not a River is Brian Payton's gripping tale of survival and an epic love story in which a husband and wife—separated by the only battle of World War II to take place on American soil—fight to reunite in Alaska's starkly beautiful Aleutian Islands.
Following the death of his younger brother in Europe, journalist John Easley is determined to find meaning in his loss. Leaving behind his beloved wife, Helen, he heads north to investigate the Japanese invasion of Alaska's Aleutian Islands, a story censored by the U.S. government.
While John is accompanying a crew on a bombing run, his plane is shot down over the island of Attu. He survives only to find himself exposed to a harsh and unforgiving wilderness, known as “the birthplace of winds.” There, John must battle the elements, starvation, and his own remorse while evading discovery by the Japanese.
Alone at home, Helen struggles with the burden of her husband's disappearance. Caught in extraordinary circumstances, in this new world of the missing, she is forced to reimagine who she is—and what she is capable of doing. Somehow, she must find John and bring him home, a quest that takes her into the farthest reaches of the war, beyond the safety of everything she knows.
Following the death of his younger brother in Europe, journalist John Easley is determined to find meaning in his loss. Leaving behind his beloved wife, Helen, he heads north to investigate the Japanese invasion of Alaska's Aleutian Islands, a story censored by the U.S. government.
While John is accompanying a crew on a bombing run, his plane is shot down over the island of Attu. He survives only to find himself exposed to a harsh and unforgiving wilderness, known as “the birthplace of winds.” There, John must battle the elements, starvation, and his own remorse while evading discovery by the Japanese.
Alone at home, Helen struggles with the burden of her husband's disappearance. Caught in extraordinary circumstances, in this new world of the missing, she is forced to reimagine who she is—and what she is capable of doing. Somehow, she must find John and bring him home, a quest that takes her into the farthest reaches of the war, beyond the safety of everything she knows.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published December 20, 2013
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September 4, 2014
The Aleutian Archipelago: fourteen large and fifty-five small volcanic islands, strung over more than a thousand miles. Somewhere there, he’s alive. On good days, her faith overshadows doubt. And what is faith but belief independent of proof, a conviction that stands on its own. To this she knows John would roll his eyes. The thought makes her smile.John Easley is missing. Shaken by the death of his RCAF brother over the English Channel, the 38-year-old writer determines to bring information to the people at home about what is really happening in the war. It seems so much more meaningful to him than reporting on bird migration for National Geographic. He feels he owes Warren at least that much. His wife, Helen, disagrees. Their last words before he took off yet again on a war-reporting mission were harsh, and final.
She is facing challenges of her own. Her father is not well, and she wants to be there for him. She is struggling with not having much by way of work skills and is stuck at a low-level job. John’s absence gnaws at her until, realizing that she still loves him, she decides to do everything in her power to find and bring him home. John had bailed out from a damaged aircraft over the Japanese occupied island of Attu. He struggles to survive in the treeless tundra. Helen struggles to find him.
Brian Payton - from his site
The story flips back and forth between the challenges John and Helen face. John has to figure out how to stay alive, and hidden from the occupying army. I was reminded of David Malouf’s excellent book, An Imaginary Life , about another person isolated in an arctic realm. Helen must figure out how to find John. Both face daunting tasks.
The Wind is a powerful, beautifully written, heart-wrenching love story, but sails well past any simple notions of romance. There is struggle here with the imagined instead of the actual partner. Does there come a time when imagination, whether fed by love or not, loses its sharp focus? How can love survive absence of the other? How far can love take a person when the odds are overwhelmingly against? Can love keep someone alive?
In addition to the compelling tale of a reverse Odyssey, one in which Penelope goes in search of Ulysses, Payton offers us considerable payload in his look at a little-seen part of WW II history. For those who thought that the last time the USA endured the landing of foreign troops was during the War of 1812, you have another think coming. Japan captured and occupied several of the Aleutian islands, and had plans to advance farther. News media of the time was subject to government censorship and the political leaders did not want it known that a foreign power had successfully invaded US territory. We are given a look at a remote and challenging aspect of the war. Along those lines Payton drops in bits of information. For instance, because the land was challenging as a place on which to build strong flat surfaces, a runway was constructed of metal matting cinched together. Another scene shows Americans dropping off planes for Soviet pilots to fly back to the USSR and use in the war on Hitler. We also get a look at the USO,
The USO sees action - from strangemilitary.com
and, chillingly, the treatment of local evacuees by the US military. So, food for the brain as well as the heart.
As for gripes, I have two. While the cover art is beautiful, it fails to let the reader know what this book is all about, focusing as it does on a single early moment in the story, and ignoring what follows. I was not all that thrilled with the ending. But that did not detract from the great joy that can be had reading this book. Your heart will get quite a workout. John Easley, a decent guy, is engaged in a prolonged life-and-death struggle, and Helen’s love takes on heroic dimensions. There is a large range of emotion from which to draw here. Uplift to be experienced, delight in beauty of various sorts, appreciation for the sacrifices of some, anger, sadness and disappointment as well. Bring your hankies. The love that Brian Payton portrays glows even brighter against the spare environment in which it is set.
Publication Date is January 7, 2014
Review posted 12/16/13
This review is cross-posted on Cootsreviews.com
=============================EXTRA STUFF
Links to the author’s personal, Twitter and FB pages
The American Booksellers Association named the Wind is not the River a January ’14 Next List pick
Mention is made in the book about John Huston making a documentary of the military campaign in the Aleutians. Here is the film, Report from the Aleutians. It clocks in at 43:13.
A shorter (17:26), color version can be found here
Here is a map of the Aleutians that seemed too tough to read to fit the image into the body of the review
The National Park Service also has some interesting information about the Aleutians here
May 7, 2017
During World War II the Japanese occupied Attu and Kiska, two of the islands in the Aleutians which stretch westward from mainland Alaska. The captured American citizens on those islands, mostly native Aleuts, were taken to labor camps in Japan. The US government relocated the Aleut people from the other islands to the Alaskan panhandle. In an effort to prevent panic from the American people who might fear that the Japanese soldiers would invade mainland Alaska and work their way down the west coast, the American military banned press coverage of the fighting in the Aleutians.
John Easley had visited the Aleutian Chain on a National Geographic assignment. When his brother dies in the war in Europe, John feels grief and wants to do something to honor the forgotten servicemen in the Aleutians. He goes north to Alaska, and talks a pilot into taking him up in his plane to observe the action. When the plane is shot down, he and a young Texan airman are the only survivors. They have to forage for food and driftwood, sleep in a cave, and avoid the Japanese soldiers on the island. The Aleutian weather is brutal with cold, gusty winds and rain, making it difficult to stay dry. The harsh, treeless landscape almost becomes another character.
John's wife, Helen, is desperately worried since she has not heard anything from her husband. She pretends to have experience as a singer and joins a USO troupe scheduled to entertain the servicemen in Alaska. She questions the troops at every stop to see if anyone has seen John. Her strong faith, and emotional bonding with the USO entertainers both bring her some comfort.
This is a love story, a war story, and a riveting survival tale. It introduced me to a part of history that I had never read about previously. The book is heart-wrenching in some parts, and always held my interest.
John Easley had visited the Aleutian Chain on a National Geographic assignment. When his brother dies in the war in Europe, John feels grief and wants to do something to honor the forgotten servicemen in the Aleutians. He goes north to Alaska, and talks a pilot into taking him up in his plane to observe the action. When the plane is shot down, he and a young Texan airman are the only survivors. They have to forage for food and driftwood, sleep in a cave, and avoid the Japanese soldiers on the island. The Aleutian weather is brutal with cold, gusty winds and rain, making it difficult to stay dry. The harsh, treeless landscape almost becomes another character.
John's wife, Helen, is desperately worried since she has not heard anything from her husband. She pretends to have experience as a singer and joins a USO troupe scheduled to entertain the servicemen in Alaska. She questions the troops at every stop to see if anyone has seen John. Her strong faith, and emotional bonding with the USO entertainers both bring her some comfort.
This is a love story, a war story, and a riveting survival tale. It introduced me to a part of history that I had never read about previously. The book is heart-wrenching in some parts, and always held my interest.
February 5, 2014
well, here's a big resounding meh.
Mr. Payton has, as far as I know, cornered the market on WW2 novels set in the Aleutians. This seems to have been a far more poignant campaign than I ever knew, and the author, in an effort to educate me on ALL aspects of this piece of history, as well as write an ambitious survival/love/faith novel, crammed in as much as he could. There's a gay guy too, because Mr. Payton is nothing if not inclusive.
This was additionally burdened with an unlikable hero and an improbable heroine.
There is a beautiful lean story in here somewhere. It's nicely written (though, dude, spell check is not enough - the corpsman turned his head to "wretch"? yeah, I'm nitpicky)...where was I? oh, nicely written but ultimately a book I raced to finish just to get it over with.
Mr. Payton has, as far as I know, cornered the market on WW2 novels set in the Aleutians. This seems to have been a far more poignant campaign than I ever knew, and the author, in an effort to educate me on ALL aspects of this piece of history, as well as write an ambitious survival/love/faith novel, crammed in as much as he could. There's a gay guy too, because Mr. Payton is nothing if not inclusive.
This was additionally burdened with an unlikable hero and an improbable heroine.
There is a beautiful lean story in here somewhere. It's nicely written (though, dude, spell check is not enough - the corpsman turned his head to "wretch"? yeah, I'm nitpicky)...where was I? oh, nicely written but ultimately a book I raced to finish just to get it over with.
February 26, 2014
3.5. In 1942, the Japanese invaded and gained control of Attu ands Kiska, two of the American Aleutian Islands. Immediately American censors ordered a black-out, all journalists were made to leave and the native people on the other islands were evacuated, their homes burned by American forces. Another historical incident that is little known but brought to light as part of this story.
This is a novel with a strong historical basis, but is also an adventure story, a survival story and a love story.
A story of a strong woman who will not give up on her husband. A very poignant story, a very detailed story about wars effect on the most ordinary of people. A man who is filled with grief over the loss of his brother and is determined to find out the truth of what was happening on these islands when he and the other reporters were asked to leave. A very finely written novel and fast paced novel.
This is a novel with a strong historical basis, but is also an adventure story, a survival story and a love story.
A story of a strong woman who will not give up on her husband. A very poignant story, a very detailed story about wars effect on the most ordinary of people. A man who is filled with grief over the loss of his brother and is determined to find out the truth of what was happening on these islands when he and the other reporters were asked to leave. A very finely written novel and fast paced novel.
June 24, 2019
Author Brian Payton's profession as a journalist is evident in this historical novel set during World War II. He has chosen an obscure setting, the Aleutians in 1943, to call attention to a neglected chapter in our history. This narrowed perspective focuses on a handful of characters rather than a “big picture.” Yet, like every great historical novel, he piques our curiosity about the larger factual context.
Almost no one knows that the Aleutian Islands were the scene of one of the deadliest battles of the war. The chain extends in a southwest direction for over a thousand miles. Attu, part of the westernmost cluster is a mere 1600 miles from Hokkaido. In June 1942 the Japanese army occupied Attu and nearby Kisku. Some 42 Aleuts became P.O.W.'s. Some 831 Aleuts from Atka, 550 miles east of Attu, were hastily relocated by the U.S. to a series of makeshift camps to the south. Payton integrates these events and more seamlessly into his narrative.
Payton lived for a time in Alaska and visited Attu. He conveys his experience of the island — wind-blown, treeless, frigid and fog-enshrouded — in a way that reflects both austere beauty and deadly desolation. “The fog slips like satin from the slopes of a dormant volcano revealing a frigid beauty. All is laid bare in the bold relief of the rare Aleutian sun — patches of white, tan husk of last year's grass, blood blue North Pacific.” (p.6) The island hosts no mammals. Driftwood entangled in the sedge and rye that fringe the beach is the only natural fuel.
Payton uses his characters to create psychological tension. Easley is stranded on Attu with a young airman. Captives of circumstance, they have nothing in common. Easley is 38; the airman, Karl Bitburg is 19. Easley is Canadian; Bitburg is from small town west Texas. Sports? Hockey v. baseball. Home? Easley comes from a close-knit family and is married. Bitburg escaped from a dysfunctional family life that has scarred him. Two men with strong instincts and stressed by extreme privation and the need to make desperate choices must communicate with special wariness and channel their differences into consensus in order to survive. They will not have either the time or mental energy to repair any falling out.
Easley's introspection is contrasted to his wife, Helen's tenacious resolve. We watch an unsophisticated woman with a strong Catholic upbringing who has never before lied transform into a single-minded pragmatist. Her faith in her religion bolsters her faith that John is still alive. After all, faith is that certainty that needs no proof to her way of thinking.
Journalists had been expelled from the Alaskan theater, and John's return was illegal. She therefore has few clues to guide her. In each new situation she adapts with unsuspected resourcefulness.
A third thread runs through this story. It connects with the title. The Aleuts had a saying. Unlike a river which flows inevitably down its channel, the wind is fierce but inconstant. That is how the Aleus conceptualize hardship. Face it with stoicism. It will not last forever. This was what Easley learned and remembers from an earlier assignment in the Aleutians for the National Geographic.
Against the backdrop of a brutal war, Payton connects with the humanity in each of his characters. He does this with extraordinary craftsmanship. We see Attu through John's eyes in a kind of You are there point of view. Easley's inflections are those of a writer: “Easley studies the empty land. Nothing presents itself for comment. Only smug birds skirting the shore. More of nothing, nothing more.” (p.20) Payton's paragraphs are concise and cogent. Although I did have some quibbles about the plot, this was a satisfying and worthwhile read.
NOTES:
The U.S. government continued their dismissive attitude toward the Aleuts after the war. In his final book, published posthumously, Dean Kohlhoff wrote Amchitka and the Bomb (Kohlhoff's earlier book, When the Wind Was a River: Aleut Evacuation in World War II is cited as one of Payton's sources).
Interviews with Brian Payton:
https://soundcloud.com/harperaudiopre...
https://www.cityline.tv/2014/02/26/wa...
World War II in the Aleutians:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/r...
https://www.adn.com/we-alaskans/artic...
http://www.sitnews.us/Kiffer/AleutWar...
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/how-a-ja...
Almost no one knows that the Aleutian Islands were the scene of one of the deadliest battles of the war. The chain extends in a southwest direction for over a thousand miles. Attu, part of the westernmost cluster is a mere 1600 miles from Hokkaido. In June 1942 the Japanese army occupied Attu and nearby Kisku. Some 42 Aleuts became P.O.W.'s. Some 831 Aleuts from Atka, 550 miles east of Attu, were hastily relocated by the U.S. to a series of makeshift camps to the south. Payton integrates these events and more seamlessly into his narrative.
Payton lived for a time in Alaska and visited Attu. He conveys his experience of the island — wind-blown, treeless, frigid and fog-enshrouded — in a way that reflects both austere beauty and deadly desolation. “The fog slips like satin from the slopes of a dormant volcano revealing a frigid beauty. All is laid bare in the bold relief of the rare Aleutian sun — patches of white, tan husk of last year's grass, blood blue North Pacific.” (p.6) The island hosts no mammals. Driftwood entangled in the sedge and rye that fringe the beach is the only natural fuel.
Payton uses his characters to create psychological tension. Easley is stranded on Attu with a young airman. Captives of circumstance, they have nothing in common. Easley is 38; the airman, Karl Bitburg is 19. Easley is Canadian; Bitburg is from small town west Texas. Sports? Hockey v. baseball. Home? Easley comes from a close-knit family and is married. Bitburg escaped from a dysfunctional family life that has scarred him. Two men with strong instincts and stressed by extreme privation and the need to make desperate choices must communicate with special wariness and channel their differences into consensus in order to survive. They will not have either the time or mental energy to repair any falling out.
Easley's introspection is contrasted to his wife, Helen's tenacious resolve. We watch an unsophisticated woman with a strong Catholic upbringing who has never before lied transform into a single-minded pragmatist. Her faith in her religion bolsters her faith that John is still alive. After all, faith is that certainty that needs no proof to her way of thinking.
Journalists had been expelled from the Alaskan theater, and John's return was illegal. She therefore has few clues to guide her. In each new situation she adapts with unsuspected resourcefulness.
A third thread runs through this story. It connects with the title. The Aleuts had a saying. Unlike a river which flows inevitably down its channel, the wind is fierce but inconstant. That is how the Aleus conceptualize hardship. Face it with stoicism. It will not last forever. This was what Easley learned and remembers from an earlier assignment in the Aleutians for the National Geographic.
Against the backdrop of a brutal war, Payton connects with the humanity in each of his characters. He does this with extraordinary craftsmanship. We see Attu through John's eyes in a kind of You are there point of view. Easley's inflections are those of a writer: “Easley studies the empty land. Nothing presents itself for comment. Only smug birds skirting the shore. More of nothing, nothing more.” (p.20) Payton's paragraphs are concise and cogent. Although I did have some quibbles about the plot, this was a satisfying and worthwhile read.
NOTES:
The U.S. government continued their dismissive attitude toward the Aleuts after the war. In his final book, published posthumously, Dean Kohlhoff wrote Amchitka and the Bomb (Kohlhoff's earlier book, When the Wind Was a River: Aleut Evacuation in World War II is cited as one of Payton's sources).
Interviews with Brian Payton:
https://soundcloud.com/harperaudiopre...
https://www.cityline.tv/2014/02/26/wa...
World War II in the Aleutians:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/r...
https://www.adn.com/we-alaskans/artic...
http://www.sitnews.us/Kiffer/AleutWar...
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/how-a-ja...
June 13, 2015
Her chain of islands that dares to separate the North Pacific from the Bering Sea. A chain through which the wind whips into some of the world's most fearsome storms. One minute it's a hurricane, the next a breeze. But rivers! Rivers flow throughout the season - under bright summer sun, plates of winter ice - morning, noon, and night. Wind rises up and fades away, but a river flows endlessly.I rarely read books with an Alaskan setting, but I'm very glad to have read this one. I don't know how commonly it is known that the western-most Aleutians were invaded and occupied by the Japanese during World War II. It was the only time US land was occupied. This is as much a love story as a war story, however. (Some here at GR have shelved it as romance, but it is not what I think of as "romance.")
And our suffering? This too shall pass. The wind is not a river.
The story is told by two narrators - a husband and wife - in alternating chapters. From the beginning, you know they are not in the same place, but the stories are told in the same time frame. It would be false of me to say that these are stellar characterizations, but we do come to know them well enough. Too, the story is told well enough that we come to have a strong emotional reaction to what happens. It has a strong plot.
I don't think this will ever come down as literature. I could not put it down for the last 100 pages and with that strong pull, I'll have to give it 5 stars. It might just sit toward the bottom of my 5-star books, but I'd be cheating to give it only 4 stars.
August 15, 2015
The beauty of historical fiction is its ability to shed light on historic events unknown by its readers. Like so many others, I had no idea that a WWII battle took place on American soil in Alaska. (The fact that I have been to Sitka – an area mentioned a few times – added to my intrigue).
This is a love story at its heart, and to me, love stories are often tricky. The reader wants a particular ending, yet doesn’t necessarily want it to be too easy. Or contrived. It’s the ups and downs that create a compelling narrative; and let me say the ending of this book will not disappoint. There is also a bit of a secondary love story embedded that is wonderfully woven into the fabric of the book.
I felt John Easely’s story was more compelling than Helen’s, and the survival scenes were nail-biters, as were the glimpses into John’s unraveling mind (Many times I wondered, "What would I do? Could I survive this?"). While I truly liked Helen and rooted for her, I never really connected to her the way I did John. Despite my personal reaction to this aspect of the story, I believe this is a solid historical fiction read with lovely (and often harrowing) descriptions.
This is a love story at its heart, and to me, love stories are often tricky. The reader wants a particular ending, yet doesn’t necessarily want it to be too easy. Or contrived. It’s the ups and downs that create a compelling narrative; and let me say the ending of this book will not disappoint. There is also a bit of a secondary love story embedded that is wonderfully woven into the fabric of the book.
I felt John Easely’s story was more compelling than Helen’s, and the survival scenes were nail-biters, as were the glimpses into John’s unraveling mind (Many times I wondered, "What would I do? Could I survive this?"). While I truly liked Helen and rooted for her, I never really connected to her the way I did John. Despite my personal reaction to this aspect of the story, I believe this is a solid historical fiction read with lovely (and often harrowing) descriptions.
November 27, 2013
Toeing the line between historical fiction and romantic drama, "The Wind Is Not A River" is a mixed bag of surprising discoveries, promised deliveries, and soft disappointments. Breaking it down...
Surprising discoveries came mostly in the form of its historical context. Indeed, the war waged in Alaska in WWII, the Aleutians Islands Campaign, isn't something that is of the same recognition to everyone as, say, Pearl Harbour. Set mostly against a wintery backdrop of a terrain shrouded in mystic, "The Wind Is Not A River" already gains an upper hand in alluring readers. Building on this, the narrative delivers on what it promises. It is an all-around absorbing plot of love and survival, both in a mental and physical capacity from the two sides involved - Easley, who must fight against the harsh elements and encroaching enemies while keeping a level headedness to survive for his and his wife's sake, and Helen, who must conquer a world beyond what she imagined herself to have had to search for a love whose survival is in doubt. Yet, by the end of the novel, I can't say I am a hundred percent taken by "The Wind Is Not A River." It surely has its fair share of shining moments, but it sometimes comes across as a primetime soap opera, masked by its brilliant literary prose. Besides, its strong start and steady middle were not served well by its weak ending that felt hasty and incomplete.
Barring my lukewarm response to some minor details, I would still highly recommend it to people since it excels at what it is and does for a reader in its educational and emotional weight.
Surprising discoveries came mostly in the form of its historical context. Indeed, the war waged in Alaska in WWII, the Aleutians Islands Campaign, isn't something that is of the same recognition to everyone as, say, Pearl Harbour. Set mostly against a wintery backdrop of a terrain shrouded in mystic, "The Wind Is Not A River" already gains an upper hand in alluring readers. Building on this, the narrative delivers on what it promises. It is an all-around absorbing plot of love and survival, both in a mental and physical capacity from the two sides involved - Easley, who must fight against the harsh elements and encroaching enemies while keeping a level headedness to survive for his and his wife's sake, and Helen, who must conquer a world beyond what she imagined herself to have had to search for a love whose survival is in doubt. Yet, by the end of the novel, I can't say I am a hundred percent taken by "The Wind Is Not A River." It surely has its fair share of shining moments, but it sometimes comes across as a primetime soap opera, masked by its brilliant literary prose. Besides, its strong start and steady middle were not served well by its weak ending that felt hasty and incomplete.
Barring my lukewarm response to some minor details, I would still highly recommend it to people since it excels at what it is and does for a reader in its educational and emotional weight.
August 11, 2019
Me ha dejado un denso sabor agridulce que perdura (y perdurará probablemente algunos días). Una novela que podría incluirse dentro del género histórico y también sentimental. Uno de esos episodios perdidos en la historia de la Segunda Guerra Mundial le sirve a Brian Payton para acercarnos a la lucha por la supervivencia de John, periodista, y al empeño por encontrarle de su joven esposa Helen. Payton aprovecha ambos personajes para contar la historia de las personas anónimas a las que la guerra cambió sus vidas. Ha sido interesante recordar el papel de esas mujeres que iban a animar a las tropas con espectáculos de cante y baile. Me ha gustado mucho la narrativa de este autor, cuidada, íntima, muy efectivo con ese final abrupto y, como digo, agridulce.
Y, a pesar de eso, es una de esas lecturas que recomiendo aunque solo sea por disfrutar del estilo de Payton.
Y, a pesar de eso, es una de esas lecturas que recomiendo aunque solo sea por disfrutar del estilo de Payton.
September 11, 2016
This book is what might happen if Jack London decided to co-write a book with, I dunno, a Bronte sister. I know that sounds a little weird -- and I was a little skeptical when I first read the plot summary, but it was a freebie from Edelweiss expiring in three days so I figured What the hell?
I was pleasantly surprised by this one. Very much worth the rush to get through it before the galley expired.
So John Easley is a journalist whose work with National Geographic has made him familiar with the Aleutian Islands of Alaska. When the Japanese occupy the islands in 1942, the journalists were forced out. The fact that the Japanese have set up camp in Alaska is largely unknown in the United States -- a fact that remains true even today. After his brother is killed in battle in Europe, Easley decides that it his duty to bring the story of the Alaskan occupation to the states. Hiding out with a RCAF unit, Easley sneaks back to the island of Annu. But when the plane is shot down, Easley is forced into survival mode. Meanwhile, back home in Seattle, his wife Helen has grown concerned that she hasn't heard from him in three months. Before his departure, Helen warned him that she was tired of being a war wife and that she wouldn't be waiting for him when he returned. Filled with regret and knowing that no one else is going to go after him, Helen joins a USO troupe headed to Alaska in the hopes that she can track her husband down.
This really didn't sound like my kind of novel, but it was gorgeously written, suspenseful, and thoroughly engaging. Payton bounced back and forth between John's fight to survive the brutal Alaskan frontier and the Japanese soldiers on the island, and his wife's desperation to find someone who might know where her husband could have gone. This book explores themes of love, survival, and war while throwing in some surprising plot twists and shining light on a lesser known aspect of World War II. Excellent.
I was pleasantly surprised by this one. Very much worth the rush to get through it before the galley expired.
So John Easley is a journalist whose work with National Geographic has made him familiar with the Aleutian Islands of Alaska. When the Japanese occupy the islands in 1942, the journalists were forced out. The fact that the Japanese have set up camp in Alaska is largely unknown in the United States -- a fact that remains true even today. After his brother is killed in battle in Europe, Easley decides that it his duty to bring the story of the Alaskan occupation to the states. Hiding out with a RCAF unit, Easley sneaks back to the island of Annu. But when the plane is shot down, Easley is forced into survival mode. Meanwhile, back home in Seattle, his wife Helen has grown concerned that she hasn't heard from him in three months. Before his departure, Helen warned him that she was tired of being a war wife and that she wouldn't be waiting for him when he returned. Filled with regret and knowing that no one else is going to go after him, Helen joins a USO troupe headed to Alaska in the hopes that she can track her husband down.
This really didn't sound like my kind of novel, but it was gorgeously written, suspenseful, and thoroughly engaging. Payton bounced back and forth between John's fight to survive the brutal Alaskan frontier and the Japanese soldiers on the island, and his wife's desperation to find someone who might know where her husband could have gone. This book explores themes of love, survival, and war while throwing in some surprising plot twists and shining light on a lesser known aspect of World War II. Excellent.
December 1, 2015
A good story with the Aleutians and Seattle during WWII in 1942 as the setting. The Japanese sent invading forces to the rock piles of Attu and Kiska and an air raid to Dutch Harbor. There is a lot of information presented about this small part of WWII and in particular the treatment of the Aleuts. This book has our Canadian hero and an American shot down over Attu. They must survive with scant resources while trying to evade capture by the Japanese. The USO is in the picture as well.
October 10, 2019
This is WWII Historical Fiction but set in Alaska, the Aleutian Islands to be exact. I found this little piece of the big WWII picture kind of fascinating. Who knew that a couple of wee little islands were such a big deal.
The story is one of survival. An American journalist is marooned on an island that is occupied by the Japanese. He hopes that a rescue comes, but has to use rely on his wits to survive. I liked that part of the story. Overall, this was a solid 3 stars for me.
The story is one of survival. An American journalist is marooned on an island that is occupied by the Japanese. He hopes that a rescue comes, but has to use rely on his wits to survive. I liked that part of the story. Overall, this was a solid 3 stars for me.
February 27, 2015
On June 3, 1942, just three days before Easley was scheduled to head for home, the Japanese launched a strike from light carriers and bombed Dutch Harbor Naval Base and Fort Mears Army Base, killing forty-three men, incinerating ships and buildings. These outposts on Unalaska and Amaknak islands, near the Alaskan mainland, were the only U.S. defenses in the Aleutian Archipelago. June 7 saw the U.S. victory at Midway. That same day, six months after the attack on Pearl Harbor, the Americans learned that the Japanese Army had seized the islands of Kiska and Attu at the far end of the Aleutian Chain. Eleven days later, the U.S. Navy made a brief statement to the press downplaying events.
This "forgotten event", the scene of the only battle during WWII fought on American soil, is a fascinating jumping off point for a novel -- not only was it fought on American soil, but the Americans lost territory. It's amazing to me that this isn't common knowledge, that this battle isn't commemorated alongside the Battle of Midway and the bombing of Pearl Harbor. But the politics of downplaying battle losses aside, the promise of the intriguing setup is never fully realised.
In The Wind Is Not a River, John Easley is a Canadian journalist who, after his brother is shot down over the English Channel, feels guilt over his own rejection by the Canadian Armed Forces and decides to aid the war effort by (fraudulently) returning to the Aleutian Islands and reporting on the little-publicised battles there. In the opening scene of the book, Easley gains consciousness and realises that his own plane had been shot down, leaving him exposed on an island occupied by the Japanese army. He soon joins up with a young American soldier who has also survived the crash and together they begin an arduous and tense battle for survival.
Meanwhile, his American wife, Helen, is taking care of her father in her Seattle childhood home after he has a stroke. The longer John is incommunicado, the more Helen believes that something is wrong, and eventually, she joins the USO just to be sent up to the Aleutian Islands to find word of her missing husband.
Part adventure tale and part love story, The Wind Is Not a River is told from the shifting points of view of John and Helen. And as promising as the premise was, it came off a bit clunky for me, the writing a bit uneven. A sample passage:
The fog slips like satin from the slopes of a dormant volcano, revealing a frigid beauty. All is laid bare in the bold relief of the rare Aleutian sun -- patches of white, tan husk of last year's grass, blood blue North Pacific.
As I read that, I first hesitated over fog slipping like satin, and while I begrudgingly accepted the simile, I came to a full stop at "blood blue North Pacific". I may be overly critical, but if I can't understand a metaphor (the ocean is the colour of my veins through my skin?) then it's just awkward. I also find it insulting to have a character explain something as universally known as the USO, as Helen does to her father -- could an American in 1943 not have actually known what the USO was and what it did? Could anyone reading the book today not know -- and if not, wouldn't it become obvious as Helen starts rehearsing the show and taking it on the road? That clumsy trick of having a character explain something to someone else just so the audience can understand what's going on is exactly why I can't watch CSI.
The wind is not a river.
Her chain of islands that dares to separate the North Pacific from the Bering Sea. A chain through which the wind whips into some of the world's most fearsome storms. One minute it's a hurricane, the next a breeze. But rivers! Rivers flow through the seasons -- under bright summer sun, plates of winter ice -- morning, noon, and night. Wind rises up and fades away, but a river flows endlessly.
And our suffering? This too shall pass. The wind is not a river.
And as for believability -- could Helen have actually joined the USO and be sent to the Aleutians within weeks? Would she really leave her disabled father alone to chase after her missing husband?
All that aside, though, there were many things that did work for me in this book: John's degeneration as he tried to stay alive was believable and tense. The real history was deftly inserted -- and besides the battles and the politics, the forced evacuation of the Aleuts (who were interred in an abandoned canning factory on mainland Alaska for the duration of the war) was a fascinating aspect of the story -- and for the introduction to this forgotten time, this was a worthwhile read.
January 23, 2014
1943. The world is deep in the grip of World War II, and there are fears that the war may never end, that it might turn out to be another Hundred Years' War.
John Easley is a journalist, deeply in love with his young wife, Helen. Yet when his younger brother is killed in the war, he struggles with his grief and his desire to ensure his brother's death wasn't in vain. He is determined to tell the U.S. a story of the war, particularly the Japanese occupation of the Aleutian Islands, which no one seems to know anything about, and reporters are sent away by the government.
"Action, he says, is the only language fit for love."
Against Helen's wishes, after a brutal argument, John decides to head back to the Aleutians and find out just what is going on. Hiding his true identity, he travels with a crew on a bombing run, when his plane is shot down over the remote island of Attu. Forced to face the harshest of elements and hide from Japanese soldiers, John must figure out how to survive to tell the story he needs to, and honor his brother's memory and the memory of those whose lives were lost in the war. And at the same time, he ponders his love for Helen, and their marriage, deeply affected by his inability to share his grief with her.
Meanwhile, back in Seattle, Helen is devastated by John's departure. While she tries to occupy her time caring for her elderly father, who suffered a stroke, she is desperate to find out where John is, and if he is okay. Yet the more she tries to find out where John has gone, or if he is okay, the more roadblocks she finds in her way. So she decides to do the only thing she can—try to find her way to the Aleutians, so she can find John and bring him back.
"Helen does not know how she is going to find him. She knows only that she must go there to do it."
Helen uses every trick she can to get into Alaska. She, too, must hide her true identity to get there, and put her own safety at risk. She also must leave her father, uncertain whether she will ever see him again. But for her, the only thought is finding her husband and bringing him home.
This is a tremendously compelling, beautifully written story about love, courage, determination, and finding the will to survive. It's amazing that for the majority of the book, John and Helen aren't together, except in reminiscences, yet their love story is so powerful. Brian Payton tells an excellent story, and this is a part of World War II I had no idea about. I felt drawn into the characters' struggles and emotions.
It's interesting—so many movies are made from adaptations of books. I think this could be a beautiful movie, as long as it didn't lose the poetry of Payton's words. I really enjoyed this one.
John Easley is a journalist, deeply in love with his young wife, Helen. Yet when his younger brother is killed in the war, he struggles with his grief and his desire to ensure his brother's death wasn't in vain. He is determined to tell the U.S. a story of the war, particularly the Japanese occupation of the Aleutian Islands, which no one seems to know anything about, and reporters are sent away by the government.
"Action, he says, is the only language fit for love."
Against Helen's wishes, after a brutal argument, John decides to head back to the Aleutians and find out just what is going on. Hiding his true identity, he travels with a crew on a bombing run, when his plane is shot down over the remote island of Attu. Forced to face the harshest of elements and hide from Japanese soldiers, John must figure out how to survive to tell the story he needs to, and honor his brother's memory and the memory of those whose lives were lost in the war. And at the same time, he ponders his love for Helen, and their marriage, deeply affected by his inability to share his grief with her.
Meanwhile, back in Seattle, Helen is devastated by John's departure. While she tries to occupy her time caring for her elderly father, who suffered a stroke, she is desperate to find out where John is, and if he is okay. Yet the more she tries to find out where John has gone, or if he is okay, the more roadblocks she finds in her way. So she decides to do the only thing she can—try to find her way to the Aleutians, so she can find John and bring him back.
"Helen does not know how she is going to find him. She knows only that she must go there to do it."
Helen uses every trick she can to get into Alaska. She, too, must hide her true identity to get there, and put her own safety at risk. She also must leave her father, uncertain whether she will ever see him again. But for her, the only thought is finding her husband and bringing him home.
This is a tremendously compelling, beautifully written story about love, courage, determination, and finding the will to survive. It's amazing that for the majority of the book, John and Helen aren't together, except in reminiscences, yet their love story is so powerful. Brian Payton tells an excellent story, and this is a part of World War II I had no idea about. I felt drawn into the characters' struggles and emotions.
It's interesting—so many movies are made from adaptations of books. I think this could be a beautiful movie, as long as it didn't lose the poetry of Payton's words. I really enjoyed this one.
February 21, 2017
I won this book through a Goodreads giveaway.
Thank you so much. =)
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Canadian Journalist John Easley and American Army First Class Karl Bitburg are the only survivors in a plane crash.
They have to work together to survive in the Alaskan wilderness.
They have to find food, keep warm on cold nights and hide from Japanese fighters from a nearby camp.
John's wife Helen doesn't believe he is dead.
She does everything she can to bring him home.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Like the old saying goes:
"There's no place like home."
July 9, 2022
3.5 stars
I found this book to be quite gripping. It covers a historical event which I know little about (World War 2 battles in Alaska) and a place that I'm now fascinated by (Aleutian islands). The dual narrative worked well enough and I was interested in both sides of the story.
Major spoiler of the ending:
Overall, I'm glad I read it and I would probably read more books by Payton.
I found this book to be quite gripping. It covers a historical event which I know little about (World War 2 battles in Alaska) and a place that I'm now fascinated by (Aleutian islands). The dual narrative worked well enough and I was interested in both sides of the story.
Major spoiler of the ending:
Overall, I'm glad I read it and I would probably read more books by Payton.
February 7, 2018
I would give this book 5 1/2 stars if I could. The writing was superb, and centered on Alaska’s Aleutian Islands during WW2 - the only battle fought on American soil during that time (and kept quiet). John Easley (a journalist for National Geographic) desperately wants to document the Japanese invasion of the Aleutian Islands despite the ban on reporters. He accompanies a crew of American soldiers on a flying mission, the plane gets shot down by the Japanese-held island of Attu, and there he is stranded in the worst possible conditions. Meanwhile, John’s wife, Helen desperately wants to find her missing husband, who has not communicated since his hasty departure. She joins a USO troupe (as an entertainer) traveling to Alaska in hopes of finding him. Parts of this book reminded me of the movie “Castaway” – John lives in a cave; endures a tooth extraction; and keeps a picture of a young native girl to distract and give him hope. The descriptions of the terrain and weather conditions are vivid.
December 31, 2013
"The Wind is Not a River" is a pleasure to recommend to anyone interested in WWII, USO, love, sacrifice, and hope. It is set in the Aleutian Islands and Alaska during WWII. I knew little about the Japanese invasion of the islands. Easley is a journalist covering the area. He is refused access to the islands so he finds a way to embed himself on a mission. The trouble is, the plane goes down and he finds himself on an occupied island. Meanwhile, his wife, Helen, is beyond worried. She knows he is likely to never stop getting the story so she joins the USO headed for Alaska and the Aleutians. Between the island and war story and the USO story and love story, the book is entertaining and gives readers a rare look into that aspect of WWII.
July 20, 2014
As difficult as some of the passages were in this book, it was still a fabulous read. The word smithing is so well done - the words chosen made me hear the wind, feel the barren landscape and see the cold, cold frost. This was such an obscure part of the war, and made it an interesting backdrop to the main story. Be sure to listen to the sound cloud interview with the author, Brian Peyton, to understand more about why the Aleutian Islands part of the war is not well known.
https://soundcloud.com/harperaudiopre...
https://soundcloud.com/harperaudiopre...
September 15, 2019
The Wind Is Not a River by Brian Payton
Wow wow wow wow. This one is an absolute work of art and the next book I'll be cramming down everyone's throats. It is phenomenal. The writing is beautiful and lyrical, the characters are so strong and dynamic and the plot was well developed and agonizing in exactly the way a novel about the Aleutian campaign should be. I felt wrapped up in all the emotions and the pain, the elation, the desire was all palpable.
Somehow, accidently, I've read a slew of books about WWII and the Aleutian campaign in the last year, and this one is far and away my favorite. I loved the way the author blended Unangan history and pain into the typical American war story - THAT is exactly what I felt was so misplaced in all the other books I've read about this time in history. Inclusion of all experiences, not just the typical American experience, was profound. I'm also always wary of "Alaska" books because they're often overdone or misrepresented but this one did a great job of being realistic and still impressive and tangible.
When I turned to the end, I found that I had read three of the four book that the author sited as being instrumental to the creation of this story: The Thousand Mile War - everything you ever want to know about the Aleutian campaign, can be tedious but worth it for all the (white American) history. However, this one had blinding gaps in Unangan experiences. Where the Sea Breaks Its Back - one of my favorite books. Do yourself a favor and find a copy. Moments Rightly Places - another favorite and the best more beautiful and aching account of Unalaska/Dutch Harbor that I have ever found. The fourth, When the Wind Was a River: Aleut Evacuation in World War II is already on my list.
Read those all and also read The Wind Is Not a River. It will haunt you, but in the most bittersweet way. I'm off to hunt down any other books by Brian Payton...
Wow wow wow wow. This one is an absolute work of art and the next book I'll be cramming down everyone's throats. It is phenomenal. The writing is beautiful and lyrical, the characters are so strong and dynamic and the plot was well developed and agonizing in exactly the way a novel about the Aleutian campaign should be. I felt wrapped up in all the emotions and the pain, the elation, the desire was all palpable.
Somehow, accidently, I've read a slew of books about WWII and the Aleutian campaign in the last year, and this one is far and away my favorite. I loved the way the author blended Unangan history and pain into the typical American war story - THAT is exactly what I felt was so misplaced in all the other books I've read about this time in history. Inclusion of all experiences, not just the typical American experience, was profound. I'm also always wary of "Alaska" books because they're often overdone or misrepresented but this one did a great job of being realistic and still impressive and tangible.
When I turned to the end, I found that I had read three of the four book that the author sited as being instrumental to the creation of this story: The Thousand Mile War - everything you ever want to know about the Aleutian campaign, can be tedious but worth it for all the (white American) history. However, this one had blinding gaps in Unangan experiences. Where the Sea Breaks Its Back - one of my favorite books. Do yourself a favor and find a copy. Moments Rightly Places - another favorite and the best more beautiful and aching account of Unalaska/Dutch Harbor that I have ever found. The fourth, When the Wind Was a River: Aleut Evacuation in World War II is already on my list.
Read those all and also read The Wind Is Not a River. It will haunt you, but in the most bittersweet way. I'm off to hunt down any other books by Brian Payton...
August 26, 2019
First: the title. What a dumb title, right? NO! It was explained (late in the game) as an Aluetian saying meaning hard times, uncomfortable things (the wind) don't flow continually like a river. They come and then they stop. The hard times won't last forever. It's a beautifully expressed thought and also an appropriate title for the book.
This book earned a rare 5 stars from me because it truly met my stringent standards for a 5-star book: I was entertained, I was educated, and I was moved. The story was compelling, both happy and terrifying, and the ending was one of the rare type where I didn't hate the author for disappointing me because I felt like it wasn't their fault. Like, sometimes that's how life happens, and in this case, that's how it happened. There was a silver lining.
I was very intrigued by the history covered regarding the US occupation of the Aluetian islands during WWII. What a neglected area in both our common knowledge and story telling! It was fascinating. This is a great book for...everyone. I think anyone would like this. Highly recommend.
This book earned a rare 5 stars from me because it truly met my stringent standards for a 5-star book: I was entertained, I was educated, and I was moved. The story was compelling, both happy and terrifying, and the ending was one of the rare type where I didn't hate the author for disappointing me because I felt like it wasn't their fault. Like, sometimes that's how life happens, and in this case, that's how it happened. There was a silver lining.
I was very intrigued by the history covered regarding the US occupation of the Aluetian islands during WWII. What a neglected area in both our common knowledge and story telling! It was fascinating. This is a great book for...everyone. I think anyone would like this. Highly recommend.
September 14, 2020
Every now and then you reach into one of your TBR stacks and come up with a treasure.
Not your average World War 11 storyline but a beautifully written love story combined with a harrowing tale of survival.
My many thanks to whomever donated this treasure to my reading stacks and to the author for giving me a soul satisfying read. Bravo.
Not your average World War 11 storyline but a beautifully written love story combined with a harrowing tale of survival.
My many thanks to whomever donated this treasure to my reading stacks and to the author for giving me a soul satisfying read. Bravo.
January 16, 2016
An epic love story unlike any that I have read before. World War II brought many things into this world and took away much more. Helen and John Easley are separated during the war. I never understood why John went to the Aleutian Islands after hearing of his young brothers death.
Truthfully, I had no idea that the Japanese had bombed and taken over two islands completely on US territory. They set up camp and guarded the land they conquered fiercely. This fact was kept from the press and rarely mentioned. John impersonated his brother, wearing his uniform, grabbing a plane ride on a bombing mission to one of the Islands in the town of Attu. The plane crashes and only John and one other man survived. They survive a cruel and relentless winter going into spring, spying on the Japanese, and stealing meager rations to survive with. The storyline is based off of John's point of view of his life of survival: Helen's search to find John, knowing that John needs her help, lost in the Islands. That story alone was so deep, so full of love, and unbelievable how they reconnected.
I had to cry. The story was beautiful. John's description of the harsh weather in the Alaskan Aleutian Islands was where I could envision and feel the cold....where I felt unsure if I would ever be warm again. The land didn't supply food for them to be full. Eating mussels raw, but just having enough to supply your energy for the next day. Hunting for fresh dead prey to eat. Barely being alive. There were no weapons to kill birds, and there were only birds flying in the wind, no hooks or line to try fishing with. Total desolation. John begins to loses his will to live when his companion dies. His mind wanders. He's wet and slowly rotting from his feet continually being wet.
Helen realized that when she hadn't heard from John in over four months that something had happened to him. She believed he was lost in the Alaskan Aleutian Islands. She transforms herself into being USO singer/dancer. She was just barely good enough to get the job. Only because there were few dancers/singers requesting to tour Alaska, ensuring she was selected. From there, she begins her search. She can't tell anyone that her objective is to find her husband. She asks everyone she meets about her "cousin" who was fighting in the Alaskan Aleutian islands. She tries to be a missionary. She begs the military to work as a nurses aide...whatever it takes to find John.
Truthfully, I had no idea that the Japanese had bombed and taken over two islands completely on US territory. They set up camp and guarded the land they conquered fiercely. This fact was kept from the press and rarely mentioned. John impersonated his brother, wearing his uniform, grabbing a plane ride on a bombing mission to one of the Islands in the town of Attu. The plane crashes and only John and one other man survived. They survive a cruel and relentless winter going into spring, spying on the Japanese, and stealing meager rations to survive with. The storyline is based off of John's point of view of his life of survival: Helen's search to find John, knowing that John needs her help, lost in the Islands. That story alone was so deep, so full of love, and unbelievable how they reconnected.
I had to cry. The story was beautiful. John's description of the harsh weather in the Alaskan Aleutian Islands was where I could envision and feel the cold....where I felt unsure if I would ever be warm again. The land didn't supply food for them to be full. Eating mussels raw, but just having enough to supply your energy for the next day. Hunting for fresh dead prey to eat. Barely being alive. There were no weapons to kill birds, and there were only birds flying in the wind, no hooks or line to try fishing with. Total desolation. John begins to loses his will to live when his companion dies. His mind wanders. He's wet and slowly rotting from his feet continually being wet.
Helen realized that when she hadn't heard from John in over four months that something had happened to him. She believed he was lost in the Alaskan Aleutian Islands. She transforms herself into being USO singer/dancer. She was just barely good enough to get the job. Only because there were few dancers/singers requesting to tour Alaska, ensuring she was selected. From there, she begins her search. She can't tell anyone that her objective is to find her husband. She asks everyone she meets about her "cousin" who was fighting in the Alaskan Aleutian islands. She tries to be a missionary. She begs the military to work as a nurses aide...whatever it takes to find John.
February 11, 2014
In June of 1942 During WWII, the Japanese invaded the Aleutian Islands and through massive efforts of the United States Military were evicted the following May (1943). This arena of the war was mostly unknown as there were black outs of the media in Alaska. This is the setting of Brian Payton’s book The Wind is Not a River. John Easley, a reporter decides to honor his brother’s death in WWII by investigating the rumors of what is happening in the Aleutians. Meanwhile, his wife does not want him to leave. He leaves after harsh words quietly in the middle of the night.
The plane that John was able to sneak onto crashed over the islands. John and a young service man found themselves on an island without any resources. It is from here that the story truly starts to take your breath away, as they try to survive without being caught. Meanwhile Helen knows something is wrong and is determined to get to where her husband is. She finds herself cast in many roles as she looks for her husband.
The book was a journey of love and survival at the most basic level and opened my eyes. I continue to be astounded over how far some people can go for love and how much suffering is too much. The Aleutian Islands are some of the harshest places on earth for survival. The search for a missing man who was secreted in the area for news was both painful and powerful.
The Wind is Not a River will resonant with me for quite some time. Emotionally the book brings you on a journey of life allowing you to witness both characters as they struggle to survive. The sheer will of survival is highlighted again and again.
A Great Read.
The plane that John was able to sneak onto crashed over the islands. John and a young service man found themselves on an island without any resources. It is from here that the story truly starts to take your breath away, as they try to survive without being caught. Meanwhile Helen knows something is wrong and is determined to get to where her husband is. She finds herself cast in many roles as she looks for her husband.
The book was a journey of love and survival at the most basic level and opened my eyes. I continue to be astounded over how far some people can go for love and how much suffering is too much. The Aleutian Islands are some of the harshest places on earth for survival. The search for a missing man who was secreted in the area for news was both painful and powerful.
The Wind is Not a River will resonant with me for quite some time. Emotionally the book brings you on a journey of life allowing you to witness both characters as they struggle to survive. The sheer will of survival is highlighted again and again.
A Great Read.
January 4, 2014
I wouldn't have read this book on my own. War isn't my thing. But I'm glad I did pick it up because there is SO much to it. This is about survival, love, ethics, war, and family. John Easley is a reporter who generally writes about travel and landscape. But, while working in the Alaska's Aleutian Islands and he discovers a whole new area of war--the Japanese didn't just bomb Pearl Harbor, they invaded several of the Aleutian Islands and they were a brutal bunch (this is true, though not generally known, which is unfortunate because thousands of soldier died in these islands). Though reporters were banned, Easley managed to talk his was in an airplane with some of the American soldiers. They were shot down over Attu island. John and one young soldier survived. They had to hide from the thousands of Japanese on the same small island, stealing what they could, eating raw shell fish to stay alive and searching for drift wood from the sea--Attu has no trees--the winds make that impossible. The other part of this story is Helen, John's wife, who knows that her husband is up there, but no one else does. She finds a clever way to get up to Alaska, lying her way in to a traveling USO show. She searches every camp, hoping to find some word of her husband. There are so many wonderful things going on in this book, though there is plenty of horrible things happening as well. The balance is well done, and the pages call out to you to read just a little more. I absolutely recommend this book for both men and women.
March 13, 2014
Six United States Navy planes left on a bombing run to the Alaska Territory, and some did not return. The Navy presumes that any survivors will have drowned in the frigid seas or will have been captured by the Japanese who have invaded the islands. But John Easley, a natural history reporter for the National Geographic Magazine, who is grieving the death of his younger brother, a member of the Royal Canadian Air Force who died in the war, was in the Aleutians when the Japanese Army attacked. He is eager to report on how the Japanese has seized several islands at the end of the Aleutian Chain, a story that the press has been downplaying to quell fear of an attack on the mainland. When antiaircraft fire rips apart the plane on which he has stowed, the pilot checks Easley’s parachute and tosses him out the hatch. In alternating chapters, we learn how John Easley survives on Attu by hiding from the enemy and scavenging for shellfish and birds and we learn how his wife, Helen, searches for him. Although the premise sounds thrilling, the novel was a bit of a clunker, particularly the melodrama surrounding Helen. Apparently, it was not sufficient that her beloved husband is missing in a battle that the United States is censoring, but she is troubled by infertility, guilty for abandoning her widowed father who suffered a series of strokes, and is trying to keep a distance from rambunctious members of the military whom she entertains as a member of the USO troupe traveling to Alaska. The historical back story is far more compelling than this fictional tale.
February 23, 2015
1943 and journalist, John Easley, undercover to find his lost brother, has been shot down over the remote and stark Alaskan Aleutian Islands. Helen Easley determined to find her husband, refusing to accept he isn't coming home sets out on her own cross-country journey.
I really enjoyed this book, it has so many great elements to it. There is a definite 'Castaway' feel to John's side of the story as he desperately tries to survive in the harsh Alaskan wilderness. He fights against the cold, hunger, mental well being and the threat of discovery by the Japanese. And then Helen's sheer grit and determination to get to Alaska and get to John really does show the inspiring power of love. With this book, Brian Payton has given readers a glimpse at a largely unknown part of World War Two, the Japanase invasion of these islands. An event that for the most part was kept hidden and secret from the general public. I think most readers, like me will find this fascinating.
This is such a beautiful tale of survival, adversity and of course love. By the half way point I think my heart had already broken about 3 different times! The stunning and evocative writing means you feel everything the characters feel and experience. This truly is a stunning read, every page is beautiful and I urge everyone thinking about reading it to just read it!
I really enjoyed this book, it has so many great elements to it. There is a definite 'Castaway' feel to John's side of the story as he desperately tries to survive in the harsh Alaskan wilderness. He fights against the cold, hunger, mental well being and the threat of discovery by the Japanese. And then Helen's sheer grit and determination to get to Alaska and get to John really does show the inspiring power of love. With this book, Brian Payton has given readers a glimpse at a largely unknown part of World War Two, the Japanase invasion of these islands. An event that for the most part was kept hidden and secret from the general public. I think most readers, like me will find this fascinating.
This is such a beautiful tale of survival, adversity and of course love. By the half way point I think my heart had already broken about 3 different times! The stunning and evocative writing means you feel everything the characters feel and experience. This truly is a stunning read, every page is beautiful and I urge everyone thinking about reading it to just read it!
February 24, 2014
Powerful read about a WWII-era journalist stranded on the Aleutian Islands after a plane crash and his wife's attempts to discover what's happened to him. The survival narrative part of the story includes more than one scene that made me actually cringe due to its vivid, brutal details, but the book also qualifies as one of the most romantic historical fiction titles I've read in some time. Payton does a brilliant job balancing John's story and Helen's story so that they complement one another, and I never found myself rushing through one or the other of them to get back to the other perspective.
I was also glad to learn more about a WWII campaign that I had never heard of before--it's clear that Payton was at least partially motivated to write this book by a desire to educate readers about this often forgotten or overlooked chapter of the Pacific campaign. I will gladly recommend this book to other historical fiction fans, particularly those with an interest in WWII fiction, and am grateful to have received a free copy for review from the publisher as part of the GoodReads First Reads program.
I was also glad to learn more about a WWII campaign that I had never heard of before--it's clear that Payton was at least partially motivated to write this book by a desire to educate readers about this often forgotten or overlooked chapter of the Pacific campaign. I will gladly recommend this book to other historical fiction fans, particularly those with an interest in WWII fiction, and am grateful to have received a free copy for review from the publisher as part of the GoodReads First Reads program.
May 3, 2015
The Wind is Not a River by Brian Payton
"A bit of historical background: On June 3, 1942, the Japanese bombed Dutch Harbor in the North Pacific. Days later, a select group of Japanese combat troops took control of Attu and Kiska, two islands off the coast of the Alaskan mainland. Attu's native population was taken hostage and shipped to Japan for forced labor while the Aleuts on the remaining islands in the 1,100-mile-long chain were evacuated by the U.S. military and sent to internment camps in southeastern Alaska. The Aleuts' homes were burned and most of their worldly possessions destroyed. Thousands of Americans and Japanese died. In the end, it took nearly a year of sustained bombing campaigns for the U.S. to expel the Japanese from the islands. This is a love story but mostly it is about survival. I really enjoyed it. 4.0
"A bit of historical background: On June 3, 1942, the Japanese bombed Dutch Harbor in the North Pacific. Days later, a select group of Japanese combat troops took control of Attu and Kiska, two islands off the coast of the Alaskan mainland. Attu's native population was taken hostage and shipped to Japan for forced labor while the Aleuts on the remaining islands in the 1,100-mile-long chain were evacuated by the U.S. military and sent to internment camps in southeastern Alaska. The Aleuts' homes were burned and most of their worldly possessions destroyed. Thousands of Americans and Japanese died. In the end, it took nearly a year of sustained bombing campaigns for the U.S. to expel the Japanese from the islands. This is a love story but mostly it is about survival. I really enjoyed it. 4.0
August 3, 2016
Good survival story about a journalist, John Easley, who sneaks back to the Aleutian Islands (off the west coast of Alaska), during the later stages of WWII, to report on the goings-on there, but who ends up stranded for months on an island occupied by enemy Japanese forces, living in a cave, starving, exposed to the elements, and with no rescue in sight. At the same time, his devoted wife Helen can't bear waiting at home to find out John's fate and embarks on a gutsy search for him herself, using any means at her disposal, including traveling to Alaska as a USO performer to get as close as possible to his last known whereabouts. Interesting survival tale in all senses of the word (physical, psychological, marital, etc.), and it exposed a part of the war that most of us weren't even aware took place. It's not a perfect book, but I enjoyed it.
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