Steller's Orchid: A Novel

by Thomas McGuire

“Subtly reveals how we arrived at the Alaska of today . . . a book that is as much about the nature of life and love as orchid hunting and ambition.” —Doug Fine, author of American Hemp FarmerIn 1924, Yale student John Lars Nelson takes ship on the SS Victoria, bound for Nome. He has been hired to do a plant survey, but his real mission is to find an orchid described by Georg Wilhelm Steller, the naturalist on Vitus Bering’s 1741 expedition. On the ship, John Lars encounters a young Aleut woman, Natasha Christiansen. Once in Nome he hires a pair of down-at-the-heels bootleggers to take him to the Shumagin Islands on their schooner, the Emilia Galotti. He quickly discovers that the two are not what they first seemed . . .In Bristol Bay he again encounters Natasha and she joins them but she and John are marooned shortly thereafter. They cross the Alaskan Peninsula on foot and then in a borrowed skiff reach Nagai Island, where Bering made his landfall two centuries before. They find the Emilia there, along with another ship, and the hunt for the orchid brings to a violent resolution an intrigue started many years before.“In Nelson, Tom McGuire has created a smart, capable, and endearing narrator for this old-fashioned adventure, mystery, and coming of age novel. Steller’s Orchid is authentically Alaskan and refreshingly original. It belongs on the shelf with Eowyn Ivey’s To the Bright Edge of the World and Lynn Schooler’s Walking Home.” —Heather Lende, New York Times-bestselling author of Of Bears and Ballots“A perfect example of literature that can entertain while also teaching about place, history and the human heart.” —Anchorage Daily News

280 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 11, 2019

Reviews

[Pam · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a wonderful find for me. It’s a historical novel primarily depicting Alaska in the early 1920s but also includes history beginning with the Russian Bering expedition in the mid 18th century. The novel’s device of the orchid goes back to the events of that expedition. Alaska, still Wild West in 1924, has Americans from the lower 48, people of recent European backgrounds and even some Chinese. All of these people have greatly impacted Native American life in mostly negative ways.

Steller’s Orchid begins with the narrator, a drifting student at Yale University. John Lars is hired by two people with “murky” credentials. His employers have a background in early 20th century China and claim to have some of Steller’s original letters. This sets off a search for the hitherto unfound Steller’s orchid. Poor naive John Lars is seduced by the shady lady as well as by the orchid. Susan Orlean’s 1998 book The Orchid Thief describes orchid collectors as obsessive fanatics still. I loved the descriptions of botanizing and collecting plants in the 1920s.

McGuire’s book depicts strange connections in this isolated land. Everyone has a “history” and everyone knows about each other. It’s filled with beautiful images of forest, sea and water. Those who are inexperienced need to grow up and become aware and competent to take care of themselves.

Different groups scrape by, often by illegally poaching protected animals, selling opium and illegal rotgut and generally abusing nature and the native people. There is physical threat to our narrator and the native woman who is trying to help him. Is the famed orchid a chimera and is it really worth something? The mystery becomes dramatic and the feel for this period in Alaska unbeatable.

[Ant Atoll · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very inventive storyline! And the descriptions of the places in the far reaches of Alaska are very accurate - I can attest to that from having been to them myself. Really a great read.

[David Cohn · Rating 5 out of 5]

McGuire has given us a remarkable book: a gripping, deftly-told tale of intrigue and a somber philosophical musing, both wrapped up in an exquisite and eloquent love letter to the wilds of Alaska. I kept rushing through pages to find out what happened next, only to force myself to go back and revel in the quiet magic of McGuire's words: "A few stars were shining, more every minute. I tried to catch the moment at which a pinprick of light became visible against the darkening sky. Somewhere a flock of birds landed on the water with a sound like tearing silk." When I finally did set the book down at the end, I felt the need to sit a while in silence, to think and reflect and do justice to the beauty of both the words and the message its story contained.

[Ariane · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this gem at Fireside Books while passing through Palmer. I picked it up as a gift to give a friend based on the botanical nod to the storyline, but decided to read it first before sending it on. It was such a pleasant surprise to find a lovely story and Alaskan adventure. Lots of memorable quotes on life in the North that were worth saving. I always enjoy reading Alaskana during the long Alaskan winters. This is definitely a book you’ll enjoy whether you live in Alaska or have just always wanted to go. Finding Steller’s Orchid is exactly the reason to frequent local bookstores & avoid the Goodreads algorithms or Best Seller lists. This was a much better choice to read than what’s among the generic masses.

[Deborah Vogt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best book in a long time!

I loved this book. I've spent a lot of time in the Arctic which, apparently, is quite similar to the Aleutians, as far as vegetation. So I loved walking among the flowers and over the spongy grasses. I found the story intriguing, and the characters — for the most part — compelling, whether modern or historic. I found the back and forth between today and years ago wonderful. Highly recommend!

[Anthony Crupi · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellently written story woven through the time and adventure of Alaska spirit. Add this novel to your top-shelf of favorite books.

[Dave Atcheson · Rating 5 out of 5]

An extremely well written Alaskan tale. I highly recommend it.