The Sea Runners

Ivan Doug - what a treasure. Here he takes a sparse skeleton of fact and spins a story that is riveting and atmospheric to say the least.

The story He is about four man who escaped from indentured servitude in mid 18th century Alaska and strike out in an Indian canoe for Astoria Oregon. Apparently it’s based on a couple sentence long newspaper article from the time. The author flushed it out into a novel. The interpersonal dynamics between the four men were well-developed. I give it four stars not five because the story was written someone in the language of the time which is different than current English, which was both a plus and a minus. It made it more of period But also made it more challenging to read. Also a lot was glossed over, I don’t think the author had much experience messing around in small boats or with wilderness survival. The interpersonal dynamics of the group or well-developed, some relevant details of the voyage not so much.

He put me into a "what if was me doing that" mode.The geographical visualization is pretty accurate for me as a native Washingtonion that has visited both Alaska and Canada.I have read all of his books and put this one last because it was called a novel.Ivan teaches you something new in every one of his books.Be good to yourself and don't be in a hurry to get to the end.I enjoyed thinking about what I would have done in those situations.Ivan Doig is my favorite history teacher.

Considering that the story is almost entirely fictional it could have been more entertaining or interesting. I guess that the authors goal has been to write a fictional story as realistically as possible, but frankly i found myself skipping pages especially towards the end.I liked the general spirit of the book, but just didnt find it super interesting.Also, i didnt really like the ”old” language used since that made reading only difficult for me (English is not my first language to begin with).Too many pages were spent on men killing time paddling endlessly towards Astoria.

Doig is a master story teller and this is a amazing story. Based on a true account, this novel takes place in the 1840s in Russian America (Alaska). 4 men indentured to the Russian company exploiting this region (think Hudson Bay Company in Canada) have had enough of their treatment and decide to escape. Doing that and their 1000 mile journey down the Pacific coast toward Astoria at the mouth of the Columbia River in a stolen Indian canoe in winter make for a challenge of the first order. Aside from the writing itself, many things make this a good read. Man against authority, man against the elements, man against hostile natives and man against man. I’ll read it again.

The year-1853.The location-Alaskan coast to Astoria, Oregon.This is Ivan Doig’s depiction of an actual historical event where four men plan and do escape in a canoe from the confines of the Russian-American Company’s unbearable living conditions and way of life.While Doig is very descriptive of the entire survival struggles of these men down the northwest coast, at times his literary writing style does come across as somewhat challenging...just like the adventure itself.I have enjoyed several of Doig’s books but this one does seem to fall a little short of his later efforts...due to his peculiar syntax.Nonetheless, a good read of determination, courage and audacity.

My pandemic reading list has been all over the board. I thought this might be an "adventure" and was not disappointed. This is not a book for everyone, but for the right person, very satisfying. A voyage like none other with characters of real depth.

i’m a huge fan of Ivan Doig but if i had pulled this book first off the shelf i might not have ever read another Doig book. it’s quite different from his other writings. i struggled all the way through to grasp the visuals he described. the language was more foreign than familiar. yet Doigs art of unfolding a good story was what keep me pushing through to the end.

This is such a good book. Doig writes with a unique style, wonderful sentence structure.If you want an adventure story combined with superb use of English, try this.

its okay

Book arrived in the estimated time frame and was as described. I am pleased with the purchase.

This was a terrific novel, principally because it was based on an actual rowing feat by indentured laborers in Russian Alaska. They actually rowed a (stolen) Indian canoe from Sitka Alaska to Oregon. It is well written and the protagonists are well defined and remain in character throughout. It is very descriptive of the Northwest coast and one feels as if making the voyage right along side. The hardships of the voyage are not overplayed and the will to succeed, and survive, remain paramount.