Flight of the Goose: a Story of the Far North

by Lesley Thomas

Book Overview

Cultural and ecological upheaval, birds, science, war, sorcery and shamanism, corporate greed, family, trauma, healing and survival... Flight of the Goose is award-winning fiction set in a traditional village and the wilds of Arctic Alaska, where author Lesley Thomas grew up.

"Amazing... I loved this book (and) am recommending it to everyone I meet."
Sandra Ingerman, author of Soul Retrieval

...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0967884217
• ISBN13: 9780967884219
• Release Date: February 2010
• Publisher: Far Eastern Press
• Length: 434 Pages
• Weight: 1.55 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

A Mesmerizing Story and a Timely Tale

That FLIGHT OF THE GOOSE is a first novel by Lesley Thomas is the first hurdle the reader must overcome, so rich in detail, research, and technical finesse are the over four hundred pages of this fascinating book. What does become obvious with even the first few pages is the fact that here is a writer who can address significant world environment issues while building love stories - between a remarkably real Inupiat girl and a Swedish scientist, between the world of the spirit and the realm of the universe, and between the mysteries of past traditions with those beings longing to preserve the enormous habitat that is transforming before our grieving eyes - stories that intermingle to create a total experience that simply refuses to end with the closing of the final cover. Thomas opens her book with a Prologue and with words like the following the reader is assured the presence of an enriching encounter: 'Let me tell what happened, and don't ask at the end what the message is. Whatever is already in us at birth, we find again in stories. We see it in the face of the moon, in the face of our lover, in our own death, in the flight of the goose.' From this point she unravels the Norn's threadball of time relating the changes that are taking place in Alaska in 1971, mixing the daily arduous charges of living with distant echoes of world events that are reshaping the life of our main character (Gretchen/Kayuqtuq). Thomas builds a blindingly realistic love story between the native, orphaned, shamanistic Kayuqtuq with ornithologist, peace advocate Leif Trygvesen and in creating a fully rounded and metaphorically meaningful relationship Thomas resorts to sharing the story from the vantage of both of these unique souls. From this launching point we learn about Eskimo traits and foods and history and manner of survival in a culture that is being eroded by technologic 'civilization', a series of sidebar stories that Thomas always manages to remain centered and focused while expanding the scope of her immensely interesting and important story. FLIGHT OF THE GOOSE is a novel so rich that deserves to be in the library of everyone who values fine storytelling while simultaneously respecting the threats and conditions of change that are only now being brought to our attention by the environmentalists. To manage to accomplish this service to mankind in as fine a book as this establishes Lesley Thomas as an important author. Highly recommended. Grady Harp, December 07

Intriguing and Intensely Detailed Story of the Far North

Lesley Thomas detailed this book so intricately that it seems real. I was most especially fascinated by the character of Kayuqtuq "Gretchen" Ugungoraseok, who is an orphan Native American adopted by the Inupiat, which means real people. Kayuqtuq is a young woman living in a subsistence culture with roots that extend thousands of years into the past. Her observations of people, including naluagmiu (white man) Leif Trygvesen, are from the perspective of her culture. I was completely fascinated. Though Kayuqtuq is already a young woman in this story, which is set in 1971, emotionally she is dealing with trauma from her childhood; perhaps she is also dealing with the continuous trauma of harsh life in the Arctic. The result is that Kayuqtuq's story is frequently more like a coming of age story than the story of a person who has already reached adulthood. Part of Kayuqtuq's coping strategy is to become an angutkoq, or shaman. Regardless of whether Kayuqtuq has shaman powers or is incredibly intelligent, her insights and visions of events are remarkably accurate and frequently prescient. Unfortunately, her visions and insight fail to give her enough clarity to prevent tragedies. This novel is primarily the story of Kayuqtuq "Gretchen" Ugungoraseok and Leif Trygvesen. The story is partially about the clash of cultures, but also about how Kayuqtuq and Leif react differently to the situations around them because of their cultures. Kayuqtuq and Leif's perspectives allow us to see how Inupiat culture views various situations in comparison to European culture. Shading and complicating the cultural differences between Kayuqtuq and Leif is that each is multicultural in their own way. The Inupiat adopted Kayuqtuq, but she is Native American. European and Viking culture strongly influenced Leif's mother and father, but Leif is from the United States. Adding even more complexity is that each is an outsider in their culture. Kayuqtuq is trying to learn to become an angutkoq, which Inupiat elders forbid, and Leif is an environmentalist and against the war in Viet Nam, neither of which made him popular with "The Establishment" in 1971. It was probably inevitable that the two outsiders found kindred spirits in each other and came to love each other. Perhaps the tragedies that followed were just as inevitable. Lesley Thomas's writing reminds me of the detail that Charles Dickens put into his novels. I like Dickens' writing very much and I am unable to recall any modern author to whom I have been exposed that writes with such intricacy and precision. However, Lesley's writing is so clear and organized that even with the complexity of the story I never got lost or had to re-read a section. This book is such a literary achievement that it has received awards from The National Federation of Press Women, The Alaska Press Women, and The Washington Press Association. This book is neither a light read, nor is it a book that you will forget any time soo

Geese are a universal soul symbol

In reflecting upon this novel it occurs to me that the author accomplished two nearly impossible feats. First, she managed to write very believably from both a female and male perspective. Secondly, she also managed to write believably and simultaneously from the perspective of a scientist and from that of a shaman (angutkoq.) Having a little experience myself in both worlds I can testify that none of it rang false. I was amazed at how believable and genuine it all felt. While I know little of Inuit life (traditional or otherwise) it certainly felt like I was entering a real (and now passed) way of life. Considering how accurate and genuine the other elements are of which I do know something, I can only assume that this world is also. For instance, I had almost forgotten the rabid intensity of feelings surrounding the Vietnam War and the draft in the early 70's, but this book painfully reminded me. It rang true. So did the description of dysfunctional families and communities. I recognized these people myself from different but similar times and places. While the more mundane elements of the characters' lives rang true, their inner lives rang truer still. The doubts of the young conscientious objector doctoral candidate took me back to my own youth. Yet, the trials of the young self-initiated angutkoq are what made the story for me. It is more than an interesting subtext out of some book. It felt like the real deal. This includes the initial doubts and fears. I especially appreciated the fact that nothing seemed to fall into place until she submitted to dismemberment by the spirits. And the description of love is also so messy and tenuous that it just has to be real. As the book says, the universe arranges so many ways to kill us that it must be the spirits that protect us. When the outer scientific and materialist world tries to deny the existence of those spirits then it tries to murder our souls and our communities. Fortunately, the spirits and the Otherworld can't really be destroyed since when it comes down to it they are all that is really real. There will always be power waiting there to heal ourselves, our loved-ones, our society, our planet- but we must percevere in our quest to make contact and break through. The worst that can happen is death and of what importance is that to a shaman?

"Kayuqtuq Was My Eskimo Name ~ Listening In The Old Way"

Introduction: What possibly could a young male American biologist, environmentalist, hippie, conscientious objector and draft dodger named Leif Trygvesen have in common with a reclusive Eskimo girl, orphan, outcast, occasionally epileptic, shamaness named Gretchen (Kayuqtuq)? Why love of course! "Flight of the Goose" is a story of young love breeching the spiritual, ethnic and cultural divide in an attempt to find common ground for their relationship to bloom within the confines of the frozen tundra of Alaska. Thomas has provided the perfect backdrop for her story, a land as harsh and fragile as the feelings and desires between these two unlikely lovers. Critique: In this her first novel Author Lesley Thomas reacquaints the reader with the too often forgotten truth that the "deeper wisdom" in life is best conveyed through the art of storytelling. While the story and characters are fictional her 430 page tale exudes an almost tangible consciousness, or should I say spirit, that rings true and authentic to the reader. While it's the romance between Leif and Gretchen that stands out foremost in my mind there is much more to be explored within. There are various storylines competing for the reader's attention and the author does a masterful job integrating them into a coherent, flowing narrative; the drudgery of wilderness survival, the ever-present cultural struggle between the "old ways" and intruding modernization, politics, economics, and environmental concerns. These seemingly diverse tangents in thought and content are seamlessly bound together by the presence of a native, shamanic spirituality that permeates every aspect of the story like a living, energy moving within and through the people, places, landscape and events. It is this intrinsic sacredness that lifts Thomas' tale to a higher level of storytelling, creating a harmony of unimaginable beauty that will not be forgotten soon. This novel should find a large and loyal audience amongst anyone interested in the environment, nature, the peace movement, indigenous cultures and their tribal customs, comparative religion, shamanism, mysticism or those who just like to get wrapped up in a good romance. Come to think of it that just about covers everyone, doesn't it?

BEST READ I'VE HAD THIS YEAR. YOU WILL BE RICHER HAVING READ THIS ONE!

This is a very difficult book for me to review for several reasons. First and foremost is the fact that this is one of the best novels I have read over the past ten years or so. I truly want to do this one justice. Secondly, so much that I found in this book hit quite close to home. The nearer you are to a subject, I find, the more difficult it is to make an objective observation. Thirdly, you will find this is a very complicated and complex story, once you really take a close look at it. There is much more here than first meets the eye! That being said, I will also state at this time, that I have no intention of writing a blow by blow plot outline here. This has been done quite a number of times in this forum, by other reviewers and commentators, in a much grander fashion that I can produce. Please refer to those reviews if this is what you need. Most of them are quite good. Briefly, the story takes place in Alaska in the early 1970s, during the Viet Nam War. It is a story of cultures running head-on against each other, economically, spiritually, ways of life, et al. It is a love story. It is a story of what we have done to, and are still doing to our environment. It is a story of conflict between war and peace, of duty and priorities. It is a story, for the most part, about people. I have been a perpetual reader for well over 57 years now. In that time I have literally read thousands of books. Among those thousands, there are around eight or ten books that I have read repeatedly from time to time over the years. Some of these works include Tom Sawyer, The Grapes of Wrath, A Farewell to Arms and The Hobbit. The one thing that all these books have in common, is that they were written by master story tellers. Flight of the Goose is going to go into my pile of "read it again" books. Ms. Thomas is most certainly a master story teller. Like the author's of those books mentioned here, Ms. Thomas is a story teller you would want to set at the kitchen table with, drink coffee, and just listen to. Not only can she tell a good story, she does it in a style that is rather unique and truly her own. Her syntax is different from anything I have encountered and is a pure joy to the eye, ear and mind! Words create patterns. They can be woven together to create feelings, describe things and of course, tell a story. This author has it absolutely nailed. From the first line I was completely captivated. I love good writing. This work is indeed, more, it is great writing! You can actually visualize, without much trouble, the landscape, the villages, the wildlife and the characters in her story. You can feel what her characters feel! This is a gift and she uses it well! I have always had several interests. At the top of the list is history. To be more exact, the history of civilizations and how they react when one meets another. There is always conflict. I suspect this started way before Cro-Magnon first met Neanderthal in a