Klee Wyck

This book was loosely assembled, a group of impressions crafted into writing that didn't necessarily make a cohesive narrative. There is power in the writing, but in coming from such an intense environment they feel stripped down and bare compared to the spirit of the setting. Carr shows empathy and concern for the people she encounters, and touches on interesting themes that she then leaves barely sketched. At the very places where she could have fleshed out her stories she lets go of the story, and the reading is frustrating as a result.

This is a classic case of the writer bring more of herself along on the journey than anything else. One gets the feeling that she has insulated herself against the very place she is trying to explore. And having been to many of the locations in the book I couldn't help but be disappointed that rather than seeing the violent extremes of the landscape and the people all she saw were reflections of herself.