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An Island Between Two Shores
"An Island Between Two Shores" is a gripping story set in the aftermath of the Klondike Gold Rush. Trapped on a desolate arctic island, Liana is pushed to the edge and must face her elemental fears. It is a haunting tale of the biting physical toil survival often requires. Graham Wilson simultaneously strips down the American adventure novel while broadening its concerns to encompass themes of compassion and belonging. It is a universal tale told with a simplicity and directness rarely seen today. "An Island Between Two Shores" is an unforgettable story of hope and possibility.
- GenresAdventure
148 pages, ebook
First published December 31, 2010
10 people are currently reading
67 people want to read
About the author
Graham Wilson
100 books45 followersMy fiction has been described as "economical and traditional." I try to define my characters through their actions rather than relying on elaborate descriptions or analysis of motivations. I like lots of surprises and feel that the primary role of the writer is to entertain. As a result I tell strong stories that are hopefully well paced and exciting.
I have written professionally for more than two decades. I started my career writing for newspapers, magazines and radio. I have also written dramas for TV and have authored nine books. I studied book publishing at the Banff Centre for the Arts and Stanford University and worked as a Book Publisher for twenty years.
I have written professionally for more than two decades. I started my career writing for newspapers, magazines and radio. I have also written dramas for TV and have authored nine books. I studied book publishing at the Banff Centre for the Arts and Stanford University and worked as a Book Publisher for twenty years.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
October 16, 2012
Synopsis
Liana is a young, transplanted Frenchwoman taken in by an older Native American when her father dies with his gold claim in the Yukon under dispute. She has learned all the many lessons that Henry taught her to survive in the cold wilderness of the North. When Henry is murdered and she flees her pursuers, she will have to rely on that training, especially when she's stranded on a deserted narrow island in the middle of the raging, icy river. The days tick down slowly and her chances for survival narrow with each day with no food and limited shelter. Liana must face the unsympathetic, cruel force of nature, all alone on her frigid island of refuge.
Review
An Island Between Two Shores is a tale of survival that brings back my memories of reading stories by Jack London in which humans travel to the frozen North and pit their wills against the unforgiving wilderness. The story of the struggle between man and nature is not a new one. In this case, it is woman against nature. I appreciated that because gender is no factor in having the skills to survive in the wilderness. It's about knowledge, will, and sometimes just sheer luck. In this case, Liana's education in living on the land in the North comes from the best, and other than that, it's up to her wits against nature.
The writing was crisp and clear, taking the reader to this place of brutal cold and harsh elements. It had a vividly realistic feel. Williams paints a bleak picture, but there is beauty in the descriptions of nature, even at its most fierce. Liana herself appreciates the beauty of nature as she waits for the ice on the river to freeze so she can leave the island. With little to do except rest in her improvised shelter, she has time to observe it. She sees the Northern Lights and all the constellations in all their unpolluted glory. In the wilderness, man (or in this case, woman) is alone with herself and the forces of nature. Self-knowledge is unavoidable in this process. Liana's inner dialogue as the days count down and she realizes that she is growing weaker wrenched at my psyche.
This story grabbed at my gut. I wanted to keep reading, hoping all the while that she would survive, yet fearing that she would not. The sheer enormity of Liana's struggle to survive, and the bleak nature of her predicament hit home with me. I could feel the grinding ache of the fierce cold, as well as the horrible emptiness of the starvation that Liana suffered. An Island Between Two Shores will stay with me a long time. In a profound way, I identified with this young woman, who just wanted to survive the cruel, indifferent wilderness that preys on both the strong and the weak.
As much as I enjoyed this story and appreciated the writing, I felt the ending was weak and robbed this book of some of its impact because it was too quick and a bit predictable. Otherwise, this is a well-written novel. I believe those who enjoy survival tales will probably appreciate An Island Between Two Shores as much as I did.
Reviewed for The Hope Chest Reviews: http://www.thcreviews.com/cgi-bin/vts...
Liana is a young, transplanted Frenchwoman taken in by an older Native American when her father dies with his gold claim in the Yukon under dispute. She has learned all the many lessons that Henry taught her to survive in the cold wilderness of the North. When Henry is murdered and she flees her pursuers, she will have to rely on that training, especially when she's stranded on a deserted narrow island in the middle of the raging, icy river. The days tick down slowly and her chances for survival narrow with each day with no food and limited shelter. Liana must face the unsympathetic, cruel force of nature, all alone on her frigid island of refuge.
Review
An Island Between Two Shores is a tale of survival that brings back my memories of reading stories by Jack London in which humans travel to the frozen North and pit their wills against the unforgiving wilderness. The story of the struggle between man and nature is not a new one. In this case, it is woman against nature. I appreciated that because gender is no factor in having the skills to survive in the wilderness. It's about knowledge, will, and sometimes just sheer luck. In this case, Liana's education in living on the land in the North comes from the best, and other than that, it's up to her wits against nature.
The writing was crisp and clear, taking the reader to this place of brutal cold and harsh elements. It had a vividly realistic feel. Williams paints a bleak picture, but there is beauty in the descriptions of nature, even at its most fierce. Liana herself appreciates the beauty of nature as she waits for the ice on the river to freeze so she can leave the island. With little to do except rest in her improvised shelter, she has time to observe it. She sees the Northern Lights and all the constellations in all their unpolluted glory. In the wilderness, man (or in this case, woman) is alone with herself and the forces of nature. Self-knowledge is unavoidable in this process. Liana's inner dialogue as the days count down and she realizes that she is growing weaker wrenched at my psyche.
This story grabbed at my gut. I wanted to keep reading, hoping all the while that she would survive, yet fearing that she would not. The sheer enormity of Liana's struggle to survive, and the bleak nature of her predicament hit home with me. I could feel the grinding ache of the fierce cold, as well as the horrible emptiness of the starvation that Liana suffered. An Island Between Two Shores will stay with me a long time. In a profound way, I identified with this young woman, who just wanted to survive the cruel, indifferent wilderness that preys on both the strong and the weak.
As much as I enjoyed this story and appreciated the writing, I felt the ending was weak and robbed this book of some of its impact because it was too quick and a bit predictable. Otherwise, this is a well-written novel. I believe those who enjoy survival tales will probably appreciate An Island Between Two Shores as much as I did.
Reviewed for The Hope Chest Reviews: http://www.thcreviews.com/cgi-bin/vts...
August 30, 2012
At just 148 pages long, An Island Between Two Shores by Graham Wilson can be read in one sitting, in fact I think really should be read like this as the story is compelling, often brutal but beautifully told.
The Island of the title is a small stretch of land separated from the shores by a fast-flowing, lethal river, and is where Liana finds herself washed up, on her own, and struggling to survive.
Liana is an 18 year old French girl, she came to the Klondike with her Father after the untimely death of her Mother. Her Father was killed in a tragic accident and she has spent the last few years living in the desolate Arctic with only Henry to look out for her. When Henry is no longer around, Liana must try to find her way back to the town, as she travels the river in a small canoe she feels confident that the town is not far away, then she hits the fast flowing rapids and is washed up on the island.
Graham Wilson's writing is sparse and to the point. He describes the frigid Arctic landscape so well that the words on the page can produce shivers of cold. Liana's fight against nature is a compelling read, as the weather gets colder and she gets weaker and hungrier her mind begins to wander and this is when the reader learns more about her past. Liana's only companion on the island is a black raven, the bird watches her intently and Liana knows that it is just waiting for her to die - the relationship between the two is built up slowly and ends quite brutally.
It is clear from the writing that Graham Wilson knows the area well, he captures the desolation, the isolation and the fear so well in this story. The final chapter is a revelation, and one that some readers may find a little strange, as I did when I read it. However, it's a realistic ending, if not the hoped-for finale.
An Island Between Two Shores is published in Canada by Friday 501 - an independent publisher based in the Yukon, and is available in the UK via Amazon as an e-book.
The Island of the title is a small stretch of land separated from the shores by a fast-flowing, lethal river, and is where Liana finds herself washed up, on her own, and struggling to survive.
Liana is an 18 year old French girl, she came to the Klondike with her Father after the untimely death of her Mother. Her Father was killed in a tragic accident and she has spent the last few years living in the desolate Arctic with only Henry to look out for her. When Henry is no longer around, Liana must try to find her way back to the town, as she travels the river in a small canoe she feels confident that the town is not far away, then she hits the fast flowing rapids and is washed up on the island.
Graham Wilson's writing is sparse and to the point. He describes the frigid Arctic landscape so well that the words on the page can produce shivers of cold. Liana's fight against nature is a compelling read, as the weather gets colder and she gets weaker and hungrier her mind begins to wander and this is when the reader learns more about her past. Liana's only companion on the island is a black raven, the bird watches her intently and Liana knows that it is just waiting for her to die - the relationship between the two is built up slowly and ends quite brutally.
It is clear from the writing that Graham Wilson knows the area well, he captures the desolation, the isolation and the fear so well in this story. The final chapter is a revelation, and one that some readers may find a little strange, as I did when I read it. However, it's a realistic ending, if not the hoped-for finale.
An Island Between Two Shores is published in Canada by Friday 501 - an independent publisher based in the Yukon, and is available in the UK via Amazon as an e-book.
July 27, 2012
I took advantage of the KDP select offer on this and pulled the trigger because I liked the cover. Well done. Now to the book itself and I'll add a spoiler alert.
I loved the first fourth of this book and the last fourth. The intervening half of the book left me flat. The opening fourth is a story of pursuit and the last fourth is a story of retribution and both are entertaining, well-paced and demonstrate the writer's abilities. The middle half and the source of the title is a tale of being stranded on an island in the middle of an Alaskan river. The heroine starves, sleeps, and waits for the river to freeze over so she can leave. That's pretty much it.
Yes, there are some incidents and the heroine demonstrates her will to survive while developing a pretty much pointless hatred for a raven. Some wolves show up and howl at her while she tries to establish some spiritual communion with them. Just too much time on an island with little advancement of the story. Think of Huckleberry Finn where Huck and Jim spend half the story on an island on the middle of the river.
Couple of other points. It was halfway through the story before the time period was established as the 1880's The story could have otherwise been in 2002. The last two pages, at least in my view, ruined the whole tale and I can't imagine why the author added them.
Sorry, but this started out as a very entertaining read, then stalled badly before resuming a great tale. Then the whole thing seemed ruined. Maybe I missed the author's subtler points of spirituality and self-discovery. If so, the book might work for you but it wasn't what I expected.
I loved the first fourth of this book and the last fourth. The intervening half of the book left me flat. The opening fourth is a story of pursuit and the last fourth is a story of retribution and both are entertaining, well-paced and demonstrate the writer's abilities. The middle half and the source of the title is a tale of being stranded on an island in the middle of an Alaskan river. The heroine starves, sleeps, and waits for the river to freeze over so she can leave. That's pretty much it.
Yes, there are some incidents and the heroine demonstrates her will to survive while developing a pretty much pointless hatred for a raven. Some wolves show up and howl at her while she tries to establish some spiritual communion with them. Just too much time on an island with little advancement of the story. Think of Huckleberry Finn where Huck and Jim spend half the story on an island on the middle of the river.
Couple of other points. It was halfway through the story before the time period was established as the 1880's The story could have otherwise been in 2002. The last two pages, at least in my view, ruined the whole tale and I can't imagine why the author added them.
Sorry, but this started out as a very entertaining read, then stalled badly before resuming a great tale. Then the whole thing seemed ruined. Maybe I missed the author's subtler points of spirituality and self-discovery. If so, the book might work for you but it wasn't what I expected.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 9, 2013
Very well written, it was a weird mixture of being fast paced with little plot detail, while at the same time being lethargic and plodding. The readers sense of time becomes as skewed as the main characters. And wow, what a twist at the end, completely unexpected.
February 25, 2013
I kept reading because it was....ok; but the ending confused me! Now I'm not sure what happened. Makes me think I should have given up reading it earlier.
July 18, 2020
This novel could have been a stunner. Unfortunately, its ending did it in, added to the unbelievability factor of its main character being able to survive that long on an island in Alaska in winter, without food, without decent shelter, without her gear except for a knife, and in wet clothes.
Yet, let me count the plusses. The writing is pretty good. Obviously, the author knows good English as he made me feel the environment and the main character’s dilemma as if I were there. The setting is harsh but exquisite, spectacular, and splendid. There is some gripping action, even if the overabundance of poetically beautiful descriptions drown it.
As to the story, Liana the main character is a French girl in her late teens. She has come to Klondike due to her father’s high hopes for finding gold. Her father trusts Henry, a native, to keep and take care of her. When her father is killed, Liana stays with Henry who teaches her the ways of the wilderness. While Liana is out hunting caribou, three men from town come to their cabin and kill Henry. Liana escapes, losing her gun and backpack, with men following her, but this is only the beginning.
The part that told the story of what happened to the two of the men was gripping but unconvincing. What happened to Liana during the course of a month when she stayed on a tiny island, however forced the believability factor even more for me.
The swift ending, if I understood it correctly, is realistic enough. And all that happened after Liana left the island was probably her mind’s losing its clarity.
Yet, at first reading, I thought the author gave us two different and possible endings. I had to go back and read again. It would have been a wiser choice had the author signaled his intention that what was happening was in Liana’s mind and not an actual story event or she was remembering earlier similar happenings. I am not the only one who was taken aback by this ending. Some of the people who have also read this book feel the same way.
Should a re-write take place, I am quite sure this story will be an award-winner because it is brilliant at its core.
Yet, let me count the plusses. The writing is pretty good. Obviously, the author knows good English as he made me feel the environment and the main character’s dilemma as if I were there. The setting is harsh but exquisite, spectacular, and splendid. There is some gripping action, even if the overabundance of poetically beautiful descriptions drown it.
As to the story, Liana the main character is a French girl in her late teens. She has come to Klondike due to her father’s high hopes for finding gold. Her father trusts Henry, a native, to keep and take care of her. When her father is killed, Liana stays with Henry who teaches her the ways of the wilderness. While Liana is out hunting caribou, three men from town come to their cabin and kill Henry. Liana escapes, losing her gun and backpack, with men following her, but this is only the beginning.
The part that told the story of what happened to the two of the men was gripping but unconvincing. What happened to Liana during the course of a month when she stayed on a tiny island, however forced the believability factor even more for me.
The swift ending, if I understood it correctly, is realistic enough. And all that happened after Liana left the island was probably her mind’s losing its clarity.
Yet, at first reading, I thought the author gave us two different and possible endings. I had to go back and read again. It would have been a wiser choice had the author signaled his intention that what was happening was in Liana’s mind and not an actual story event or she was remembering earlier similar happenings. I am not the only one who was taken aback by this ending. Some of the people who have also read this book feel the same way.
Should a re-write take place, I am quite sure this story will be an award-winner because it is brilliant at its core.
October 20, 2023
I keep vacillating between 3 or 4 stars for this book, so I’ll go with 3.5. The pace of the book was slow and some paragraphs were skimmed. I wondered if I was ever going to find out the backstory that led to the events on page one. (You do, in the most unconventional way.) The more I think about it, the more I love this ending because the alternate quasi-ending is not realistic though it is entertaining.
October 16, 2013
This story started out very promising. A girl is stranded on an island cut off from civilization and must survive on her wits and determination. Great! However it soon fell apart after Liana landed on the island.
March 28, 2013
This is such an excellent, enthralling story that one can only regret that it comes to end. It is beautifully written and makes you feel that you are present as the story unfolds. Excellent writing.
November 17, 2012
A very chilling novel. Very well written & captivating.
March 29, 2013
Very well written, I could feel the cold on my skin, smell the water, feel the horror of the situation...
March 4, 2014
I'm not one for fiction, but this book kept me interested the whole way through. In the end I didn't feel as though it imparted any particular knowledge to me, just entertaining.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews