Flight of the Goose [Paperback]

Lesley Thomas (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 12, 2005

Flight of the Goose: A Story of the Far Northis unique award-winning literary fiction set in the Alaskan Arctic at the birth of the environmental and Native rights movements.

Kayuqtuq - the red fox - seeks to gain respect in her village through the outlawed path of shamanism. Her plan leads to tragedy when she interferes with a bird scientist who has come to research oil spills - and evade the draft.
Told from their two perspectives, Flight of the Goose is a tale of cultural conflict, spiritual awakening, redemption and love in a time when things are, to use the words of an old arctic shaman, no longer familiar .

This is a classic journey of the hero, a coming-of-age tale woven with ecology, adventure and myth. Danger and violence erupt from villains and the wilderness itself. The reader becomes immersed in the lives of indigenous and outside characters in the remote village: witches, missionaries, sport hunters, grandmothers, bush pilots, oil men, evil spirits, bears and geese.
Under it all is a universal story of passion - between a man and a woman, community, and love for the Earth. Quotes from shamans and seers from many ancient cultures enrich the text.
Lesley Thomas writes from first hand experience. Her books authenticity with its research into Inuit culture, history, wildlife and environmental perils is endorsed by experts; Flight of the Goose is read at Boston University, University of Alaska, shamanic schools, and in book clubs across the world.

Editorial Reviews

Review

'This is an absolutely gripping tale actually a skillful braiding of tales.
I was moved by the characters and their fates as I have not been by a novel in a long time. The telling is masterful, the authenticity palpable, and the writing its pace, color, tone - is exquisite. A remarkable work...a joy, a big broad deep river of a book, a work of substance and great beauty of both vision and style.'

Source ~Alaska Press Women Contest judge Richard Hoffman, award-winning author of Half the House

'Lesley Thomas has done what would seem to be the impossible -- taken us deep inside the Inupiat world, in the voice and mind of an extraordinary young woman with still more extraordinary powers. I know of no book like this. 'Smilla's Sense of Snow' is a distant second. But two movies come to mind: 'Fast Runner', and 'Dersu Uzala'. If you love either of these movies, you'll be stunned by the depth and scope of this novel and the unique and unmistakably true voice of its heroine. And if you've never seen them, read 'Flight of the Goose' first!'

Source ~ Lesley Hazleton, award-winning journalist and author of Jezebel: The Untold Story of the Bible's Harlot Queen

'The story took my breath away...I wept my way through it, identifying
profoundly with both protagonists. The author has a fine grasp of the
complexity of human relations and culture in such a village...She also
writes beautifully. I was caught up from the first page...A remarkable book altogether'.

Source ~Jean Briggs, Professor Emeritus, Department of Anthropology.

"Unforgettable…Rings as true as bell metal. Thomas has my admiration." -- Eugene Garber, award-winning author of Metaphysical Tales

"Vibrant and genuine...A breathtaking landscape, poignant love story and unforgettable characters delivered with keen insight into human nature... --

Saint Andrew's Literary Journal

"A moving and extremely well-written story. (As well as) shamanic themes...the story addresses many other significant issues - among them, climate change, environmental crisis, and indigenous rights."

-- Shaman's Drum Journal

"Compelling...extraordinary...written with poignant and often amazing insight into Inuit culture. (Thomas) deals with the shamanism and sorcery in a very realistic way"...

--Sacred Hoop Magazine

"(An) exquisite example of storytelling...(with) critical aspects of Alaska Native life...will warm your heart and the hearts of those with whom you share the stories."

--First Alaskans: a statewide magazine of Native business and culture

"One of the best novels of Alaska I have read. With the author's unerring knowledge of anthropology and social and environmental issues, it could fit any Alaskan village."

--Dr. Dorothy Jean Ray, author of "A Legacy of Arctic Art"

"Puts a human face on the much debated issue of oil drilling in Alaska's wilderness. Complex, thought provoking and moving...Should be required reading for Congress."

--Heather Lende, "If You Lived Here, I'd Know Your Name"

From the Publisher

Flight of the Goose: A Story of the Far North is first place winner in the 2006 National Federation of Press Women Communications Contest
first place winner in the 2006 Alaska Press Women Communications Contest
first place winner in the 2005 Washington Press Association Communicator of Excellence Contest.

It is listed as a publication of note in Cultural Survival Quarterly and Shaman's Drum Journal.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 430 pages
• Publisher: Far Eastern Press; One edition (February 12, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0967884217
• ISBN-13: 978-0967884219
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (31 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #848,069 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

37 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Mesmerizing Story and a Timely Tale, December 5, 2007

By 

Grady Harp (Los Angeles, CA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Flight of the Goose (Paperback)

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

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars BEST READ I'VE HAD THIS YEAR. YOU WILL BE RICHER HAVING READ THIS ONE!, July 10, 2007

By 

D. Blankenship (The Ozarks) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Flight of the Goose (Paperback)

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 valley in France. This conflict between cultures goes on to this day, and I suspect it will always be so. The author has covered this perfectly. My wife of 46 years is of primarily Native American ancestry. My best friend over the past thirty years, who recently passed away, was a Native American and a Shaman. I have been living with the conflict between Native American Spirituality and Christianity for most of my life. This has always been of great interest to me, as well as being quite perplexing, and again, the author has presented this conflict perfectly. I have been a birder since I was eight years old. I may not know much, but I do know birds. Folks, this author knows her ornithology! Her research must have taken years. I found no flaw. During the Viet Nam War, I was one of those who chose to go. Many of my friends and family chose not to. This has always been, and still is, a source of great conflict within me. Here again, the author addresses this head on and in a very thoughtful manner, quite sensitively, really, when all is said and done. Along with my reading of history, I have always been fascinated with powerful women (having married one and been the son of one) and the influence they have on their people and upon history. One of the central themes of this book is just that. As I said at the beginning of this review, this work hits pretty close to home.

A well told story, wonderful use of the language, well researched, love, conflict, hate, greed, spirituality, and so much more. Not only did I read a great story, I learned much about writing, much about other peoples and indeed, much of myself in this one. What more could you ask for! Highly recommend this one!

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Geese are a universal soul symbol, July 15, 2007

By 

OAKSHAMAN "oakshaman" (Algoma, WI United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Flight of the Goose (Paperback)

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?