My Last Continent: A Novel by Midge Raymond
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Despite living in snow and ice for a good portion of every year, Antarctica is a continent I’ve rarely contemplated–until now. Midge Raymond’s debut novel is a gorgeous, consuming exploration of this unpredictable landscape. Deb Gardner, a penguin scientist and reluctant cruise ship tour guide, recounts the events that led to a tragic and unprecedented shipwreck south of the Antarctic circle, but this is not simply a book about another Titanic. Raymond brings impeccable research to the table, showcasing the struggle of the penguin colonies and examining the history of human exploration in Antarctica, while simultaneously giving readers a glimpse of the breathtaking wilds of a world built on ice. I’m a terrible swimmer, uncomfortable on the water, and would pick a sunny beach over a glacier any day, but somehow MY LAST CONTINENT has bewitched me. On this steamy, green June day, I’m dreaming of a love in blue and white.