Synopses & Reviews
This gripping novel of Arctic survival, brilliantly written by an author who has been described as "a young Ondaatje," is based on one of the most remarkable events in polar exploration. In 1871, off the coast of Greenland, nineteen men, women, and children, voyaging on the Arctic explorer USS Polaris, were cast adrift on a large ice floe as their ship began to founder. Afterlands is the story of this small society of castaways—a white and a black American, five Germans, a Dane, a Swede, an Englishman, and two Inuit families—as they try to survive a six-month winter ordeal, struggling with the harsh elements and with one another, the group splintering into factions along ethnic and national lines.
Steven Heighton provocatively fills in the blanks of the documented history of this event by focusing on the suspicions, the hunger-induced delusions, and the unrequited longings among three members of the group: Roland Kruger, an educated, witty, rebellious German seaman; Tukulito, or "Hannah," the party's Inuit interpreter; and George Tyson, the American ranking officer, who later wrote an account of the experience that solidified his reputation as a hero while casting Kruger as the villain. Throughout the novel, Heighton incorporates actual passages from Tyson's contentious account, then daringly imagines the aftermath of the ordeal, following Kruger, Tukulito, and Tyson as they attempt to move beyond their searing memories and resume their lives in the larger world.
Combining the high drama of Arctic survival and the psychological intensity of modern theater, this beautifully written novel powerfully addresses themes of belonging, nationalism, and love in times of crisis.
Steven Heighton's first novel, The Shadow Boxer, was chosen as a 2002 Book of the Year by Publishers Weekly and has been published in five countries. He is also the author of several books of poetry and short fiction. His work has received awards in Britain and Canada, has been translated into eight languages, and has been internationally anthologized. He lives in Kingston, Ontario.
International Praise for Afterlands
"Afterlands is up there with the best work in the genre . . . Heighton is a superb stylist, in complete control of the language." -- National Post
"One of the most gripping stories about the north to be found . . . There's nail-biting adventure, unforgettable character studies, lessons about the reemergence of nationalism in today's post-9/11 world . . . [Afterlands is] one of the year's top novels." -- Ottawa Citizen
"Afterlands is a sprawling adventure story, part epic of Arctic endurance, part Mex-western . . . with an unrequited love affair between a German seaman and an Inuit matron to add passion to an already passionate book. At the heart of Afterlands is an ambiguous hero, the disgraced German sailor Roland Kruger, whose true-life bravery has inspired Heighton to create a complex, brooding, rebellious, and mysteriously gentle central character. Afterlands is full of unforgettably dramatic moments: the tubercular Inuit girl Punnie performing Mendelssohn in a New England concert hall, a gorgeous bear-bull fight in a Mexican plaza, and the long night when the men anchor their remaining whaleboat with their own bodies as the ice floe sinks and frigid waves dash over them. A thrilling read." -- Douglas Glover, author of Elle: A Novel
"Unforgettable . . . This is a big, wide, deep book . . . Like Conrad, Heighton is shockingly real and character-driven even when he's being his most mannered." -- Globe & Mail
"Steven Heighton is one of the finest writers in this country." -- Barbara Gowdy, author of The White Bone
Review
"Canadian novelist Heighton is an elegant writer, and the story he tells is gripping."
Review
"Skillfully constructed, beautifully written, told with a detachment that will put the reader in mind of Graham Greene..."
Review
"This novel's scale, its delight in detail and its psychological insight make it an exceptionally satisfying adventure."
Review
"... ambitious successor to [Heighton's] excellent debut novel"
Review
"Skillfully constructed, beautifully written, told with a detachment that will put the reader in mind of Graham Greene..." The Washington Post
"A novel of big ideas and beautiful language. [Afterlands] is a magnificent novel..." The New York Times Book Review
"Canadian novelist Heighton is an elegant writer, and the story he tells is gripping." St. Louis Post-Dispatch
"This novel's scale, its delight in detail and its psychological insight make it an exceptionally satisfying adventure." Publishers Weekly
"... ambitious successor to [Heighton's] excellent debut novel" Kirkus Reviews
Synopsis
This gripping novel of Arctic survival, brilliantly written by an author who has been described as a young Ondaatje,” is based on one of the most remarkable events in polar exploration. In 1871, off the coast of Greenland, nineteen men, women, and children, voyaging on the Arctic explorer USS Polaris, were cast adrift on a large ice floe as their ship began to founder. Afterlands is the story of this small society of castawaysa white and a black American, five Germans, a Dane, a Swede, an Englishman, and two Inuit familiesas they try to survive a six-month winter ordeal, struggling with the harsh elements and with one another, the group splintering into factions along ethnic and national lines. Steven Heighton provocatively fills in the blanks of the documented history of this event by focusing on the suspicions, the hunger-induced delusions, and the unrequited longings among three members of the group: Roland Kruger, an educated, witty, rebellious German seaman; Tukulito, or Hannah,” the party's Inuit interpreter; and George Tyson, the American ranking officer, who later wrote an account of the experience that solidified his reputation as a hero while casting Kruger as the villain. Throughout the novel, Heighton incorporates actual passages from Tysons contentious account, then daringly imagines the aftermath of the ordeal, following Kruger, Tukulito, and Tyson as they attempt to move beyond their searing memories and resume their lives in the larger world.
Combining the high drama of Arctic survival and the psychological intensity of modern theater, this beautifully written novel powerfully addresses themes of belonging, nationalism, and love in times of crisis.
Steven Heightons first novel, The Shadow Boxer, was chosen as a 2002 Book of the Year by Publishers Weekly and has been published in five countries. He is also the author of several books of poetry and short fiction. His work has received awards in Britain and Canada, has been translated into eight languages, and has been internationally anthologized. He lives in Kingston, Ontario.
Synopsis
This gripping novel of Arctic survival, brilliantly written by an author who has been described as "a young Ondaatje," is based on one of the most remarkable events in polar exploration. In 1871, off the coast of Greenland, nineteen men, women, and children, voyaging on the Arctic explorer USS Polaris, were cast adrift on a large ice floe as their ship began to founder. Afterlands is the story of this small society of castaways—a white and a black American, five Germans, a Dane, a Swede, an Englishman, and two Inuit families—as they try to survive a six-month winter ordeal, struggling with the harsh elements and with one another, the group splintering into factions along ethnic and national lines.
Steven Heighton provocatively fills in the blanks of the documented history of this event by focusing on the suspicions, the hunger-induced delusions, and the unrequited longings among three members of the group: Roland Kruger, an educated, witty, rebellious German seaman; Tukulito, or "Hannah," the party's Inuit interpreter; and George Tyson, the American ranking officer, who later wrote an account of the experience that solidified his reputation as a hero while casting Kruger as the villain. Throughout the novel, Heighton incorporates actual passages from Tyson's contentious account, then daringly imagines the aftermath of the ordeal, following Kruger, Tukulito, and Tyson as they attempt to move beyond their searing memories and resume their lives in the larger world.
Combining the high drama of Arctic survival and the psychological intensity of modern theater, this beautifully written novel powerfully addresses themes of belonging, nationalism, and love in times of crisis.
Steven Heighton's first novel, The Shadow Boxer, was chosen as a 2002 Book of the Year by Publishers Weekly and has been published in five countries. He is also the author of several books of poetry and short fiction. His work has received awards in Britain and Canada, has been translated into eight languages, and has been internationally anthologized. He lives in Kingston, Ontario.
Synopsis
In 1871, nineteen men, women, and children, voyaging on the Arctic explorer USS Polaris found themselves cast adrift on an ice floe as their ship began to founder. Based on one of the most remarkable events in polar history, Afterlands tells the haunting story of this small society of castaways -- a white and a black American, five Germans, a Dane, a Swede, an Englishman, and two Inuit families -- and the harrowing six months they spend marooned in the Arctic, struggling to survive both the harsh elements and one another. As the group splinters into factions along ethnic and national lines, rivalries -- complicated by sexual desire, unrequited love, extreme hunger, and suspicion -- begin to turn violent. Steven Heighton's provocative novel fills in the blanks of the Polaris's documented history and explores the shattering emotional and psychological consequences faced by those who survive.
About the Author
Steven Heighton is the author of six previous books, including the award-winning story collections Flight Paths of the Emperor and On Earth As It Is; a book of essays, The Admen Move on Lhasa; and two volumes of poetry, The Ecstasy of Skeptics, was was a finalist for the 1995 Governor General's Award, and Stalin's Carnival. He lives in Kingston, Ontario.
Table of Contents
C O N T E N T S
One Bury Me at Sea 1
Two Versions of Loyalty 43
Three Afterlands 243
Last Versions 399
Authors Note 404