Bear War-den, is set in a Rocky Mountain National Park that is burning with an out-of-control fire. While the fire is raging, a woman park warden takes a bear skull and begins an arduous and dream-like journey to the park boundary—where wild animals can seem like ghosts, men can seem like dead animals, and trauma can strike as suddenly as lightning. For a Review, please see The Miramichi Reader: http://miramichireader.ca/2016/01/bea... Told in a style that mixes realism and magical realism, Bear War-den deals with themes of personal and ecological loss, trauma, and of women and non-human animals dealing with oppression within a male-dominated, paramilitary Parks Management system.
An eco-feminist parable in which a Canadian park warden stops listening to white male park wardens and starts listening to the bears. A bit heavy handed here and there, but also readable and inventive. I particularly liked the use of photos and poetic incident reports.
I came away from this book with mixed feelings. First off, I received it from a goodreads giveaway. I probably would have put it down partway into the book otherwise, but instead, I felt compelled to finish reading it so I could review it. Had I put it down when I really wanted to quit, I would have given it one star - but it got a little better as it went on.
My frustrations: ~I spent 75% of the book trying to figure out who was talking and when the event took place in the timeline of whatever was going on. I still don't know if there was one or two different female wardens talking throughout the book. From the ending, I'm guessing one -- but why did I spend most of the book thinking there were two?? So confusing. ~Probably one of the biggest reasons why I would have put it down was the reference to female masturbation. I don't need those images in my mind. Thankfully, this kind of content was minimal. -Political themes are just not my thing.
What I liked: -The mix of prose and poetry (as long as I knew WHO was talking). -It made me think. Good books are supposed to make me think, in my opinion. -Sexism and racism are real and prevalent in the world, and people need to be more aware so we can do something about it as a society. -Best character was the bear skull. Funny.