"Mundy writes beautifully." - The Times

In 1932, Wanny Woldstad, a young widow, travels to Svalbard, daring to enter the Norwegian trappers' fiercely guarded male domain. She must prove to Anders Saeterdal, her trapping partner who makes no secret of his disdain, that a woman is fit for the task.

Over the course of a Svalbard winter, Wanny and Saeterdal will confront polar bears, traverse glaciers, withstand blizzards and the dangers of sea ice, and hike miles to trap Arctic fox, all in the frigid darkness of the four-month polar night. For Wanny, the darkness hides her own deceptions that, if exposed, speak to the untenable sacrifice of a 1930s woman longing to fulfil a dream.

Alongside the raw, confronting nature of the trappers' work, is the story of a young blue Arctic fox, itself a hunter, who must eke out a living and navigate the trappers' world if it is to survive its first Arctic winter.

About the Author
Wild places form a big part of Robyn Mundy's life, and her novels. Robyn has wintered and summered in Antarctica, the setting for her first novel The Nature of Ice. Her second novel, Wildlight, is set on remote Maatsuyker Island, home to Australia's loneliest lighthouse where she spent ten months. For over 20 years Robyn has worked seasonally as a ship-based tour guide in Svalbard, Greenland, Antarctica, the Norwegian coast and wild Scotland. Her numerous visits to Svalbard led to her 2021 novel Cold Coast. Robyn lives in Tasmania with a penguin biologist and a Blue Heeler. Visit her website at www.writingthewild.net and Instagram at @robyncmundy.

Reviews
The book, based on a true story, is about the place as much as Wanny's life. Mundy is utterly convincing in her description of the far north - the passing of the seasons, the cracking of the ice and the movement of the birds. * The Times *
A brilliant feminist biographical natural history novel. * Australian Women's Weekly *
Mundy's writing is poetic and lyrical. It transports the reader to a perilous but unexpectedly luminous part of the world that most people will never visit. -- Karen Viggers * Canberra Times *
[Mundy] translates the stark beauty and acerbity of the Arctic with masterly wit and fervour. This is the best kind of novel - one that takes you away from the mundanity of your plastic chair and four concrete walls. -- Jessie Tu * Sydney Morning Herald *



Book Information
ISBN 9781761151637
Author Robyn Mundy
Format Hardback
Page Count 288
Imprint Ultimo Press
Publisher Ultimo Press
Weight(grams) 490g