LoveReading Says
LoveReading Says
Based on the remarkable true story of Wanny Woldstad, the first female hunter to enter the remote Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard in the 1930s, Robyn Mundy’s Cold Coast is itself remarkable. A soulful, stirring, enthralling story of a woman’s indefatigable resilience and survival that also takes in the captivating tale of a young blue Arctic fox that’s navigating the same territory.
Even before she ventures into Svalbard’s unforgiving landscapes, Wanny does things her own way. She’s a straight-talking young widow working as a taxi driver, with an undeniable talent for handling rifles. Desperate to join a hunting trip to Svalbard (“because it is a place of stories”), she’s relentless in stating her case to her potential trapping partner, Anders Saeterdal. She triumphs, and they set sail for the Arctic.
Over the course of a year, Wanny’s interactions with brutal blizzards, polar bears and frozen fjords unfold alongside the story of a young fox experiencing similar interactions. Combined, their stories create a raw and majestic novel about survival. Quite simply, Cold Coast is dazzling.
Joanne Owen
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Cold Coast Synopsis
Inspired by the story of Svalbard’s first female trapper, Cold Coast is a gripping portrayal of survival within the stark beauty and perilous wilderness of the high Arctic.
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 Sæterdal, 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 Sæterdal 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 ?rst Arctic winter.
About This Edition
| ISBN: |
9781761151156 |
| Publication date: |
8th June 2023 |
| Author: |
Robyn Mundy |
| Publisher: |
Ultimo Press |
| Format: |
Paperback |
| Pagination: |
288 pages |
| Primary Genre |
Historical Fiction
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| Other Genres: |
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| Recommendations: |
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Press Reviews
Robyn Mundy Press Reviews
'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
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