Click for full-size.
Afterlands
by Steven Heighton
- Used
- as new
- Paperback
- first
- Condition
- As New
- ISBN 10
- 0241143470
- ISBN 13
- 9780241143476
- Seller
-
Traralgon, Victoria, Australia
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
Penguin, UK, 2006. First Edition. Trade Paperback. As New. Trade Paperback. 402 pages. *** PUBLISHING DETAILS: Penguin, UK, 2006. First Edition. This is the first UK edition. *** CONDITION: This book is in as new condition. More specifically: Covers have no creasing or wear. Spine is uncreased. . Pages are clean and unmarked and in excellent condition. Sticker residue front cover. This book is an unread copy. *** ABOUT THIS BOOK: It is 1871 and a thwarted voyage across unchartered waters to plant the American flag at the North Pole has cast nineteen survivors adrift on an ice floe off the coast of Greenland. Afterlands is the story of this small society of castaways one white and one black American, five Germans, a Dane, a Swede, an Englishman, and two Inuit families as they struggle with the elements and, increasingly, with each other. While suffering the deadly hardships of cold and hunger, the succumb to equally destructive suspicions, mutiny, hunger-induced delusions and unrequited longings, and their ordeal is one that will cast a shadow over the rest of their lives. . . Based on a true story and suffusing the drama of Arctic survival with a harrowing psychological intensity, Afterlands is a gripping, beautiful novel that explores allegiance and betrayal, the sacrifices needed for survival and the ultimate cost of loyalty. *** Quantity Available: 1. Category: Fiction; Historical; ISBN: 0241143470. ISBN/EAN: 9780241143476. Inventory No: 08010088.. 9780241143476
Synopsis
This gripping novel of Arctic survival, brilliantly written by an author who has been described as “a young Ondaatje,” is based on one of the most remarkable events in polar exploration. In 1871, off the coast of Greenland, nineteen men, women, and children, voyaging on the Arctic explorer USS Polaris, were cast adrift on a large ice floe as their ship began to founder. Afterlands is the story of this small society of castaways—a white and a black American, five Germans, a Dane, a Swede, an Englishman, and two Inuit families—as they try to survive a six-month winter ordeal, struggling with the harsh elements and with one another, the group splintering into factions along ethnic and national lines. Steven Heighton provocatively fills in the blanks of the documented history of this event by focusing on the suspicions, the hunger-induced delusions, and the unrequited longings among three members of the group: Roland Kruger, an educated, witty, rebellious German seaman; Tukulito, or “Hannah,” the party's Inuit interpreter; and George Tyson, the American ranking officer, who later wrote an account of the experience that solidified his reputation as a hero while casting Kruger as the villain. Throughout the novel, Heighton incorporates actual passages from Tyson’s contentious account, then daringly imagines the aftermath of the ordeal, following Kruger, Tukulito, and Tyson as they attempt to move beyond their searing memories and resume their lives in the larger world. Combining the high drama of Arctic survival and the psychological intensity of modern theater, this beautifully written novel powerfully addresses themes of belonging, nationalism, and love in times of crisis. Steven Heighton’s first novel, The Shadow Boxer, was chosen as a 2002 Book of the Year by Publishers Weekly and has been published in five countries. He is also the author of several books of poetry and short fiction. His work has received awards in Britain and Canada, has been translated into eight languages, and has been internationally anthologized. He lives in Kingston, Ontario.
Reviews
(Log in or Create an Account first!)
Details
- Bookseller
- Manyhills Books
(AU)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- 08010088
- Title
- Afterlands
- Author
- Steven Heighton
- Format/Binding
- Trade Paperback
- Book Condition
- New As New
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Edition
- First Edition
- Binding
- Paperback
- ISBN 10
- 0241143470
- ISBN 13
- 9780241143476
- Publisher
- Penguin
- Place of Publication
- UK
- Date Published
- 2006
- Keywords
- BZDB5 Fiction; Afterlands
- Bookseller catalogs
- Historical; Fiction;
Terms of Sale
Manyhills Books
30 day return guarantee, with full refund including shipping costs for up to 30 days after delivery if an item arrives misdescribed or damaged.
About the Seller
Manyhills Books
Biblio member since 2009
Traralgon, Victoria
About Manyhills Books
Manyhills Book Store stocks New, Unread, Collectible and Used books.
Glossary
Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:
- New
- A new book is a book previously not circulated to a buyer. Although a new book is typically free of any faults or defects, "new"...
- Spine
- The outer portion of a book which covers the actual binding. The spine usually faces outward when a book is placed on a shelf....
- Trade Paperback
- Used to indicate any paperback book that is larger than a mass-market paperback and is often more similar in size to a hardcover...
- First Edition
- In book collecting, the first edition is the earliest published form of a book. A book may have more than one first edition in...
Frequently asked questions
This Book’s Categories
Collecting Classic Supernatural Fiction
Classic supernatural fiction is distinct from contemporary horror because it is more literate and often relies upon poetic subtlety rather than unpleasant gratuity to create an atmosphere. Enter if you dare!
Signed Books
Why settle for an ordinary copy of your favorite book when you could have an autographed copy? Find signed books here.
