The Cry of the Icemark, Stuart Hill

     The Cry of the Icemark is an exciting book. The story follows Thirrin Freer Strong-in-the-Arm Lindenshield - a 13 year-old girl who becomes queen after her fater, the king, dies in battle. Now Thirrin must make new allies to survive the war. I f you like stories of war and myth, this the book for you.

 - Eva Cole, Salida Middle School

Sight Hound, Pam Houston, W. W. Norton, 2005, 342pp.

      Readers accustomed to Pam Houston's tales of men gone bad and the women who fall for their charms might be thrown off a tad with her latest novel, Sight Hound.  Rae Rutherford, the story's main character, has ended her string of loser-men.  No small credit for this development is due Rae's Irish wolfhound.

     This wolfhound, Dante, who is on his last legs, and quotes the Buddha, serves as something of a bodhisattva, staying in this life until his human learns to believe and trust love; to believe and trust herself.  Dante is the magnet that draws a circle of community around Rae, who has spent her life fending for herself.

     The story is told by the characters in it.  In place of chapter titles, Houston gives us the character's name who will be narrating, followed by a number indicating how many times they've done this, i.e. "Rae #7," "Dante #3," "Darlene #1."  All told, ten characters take turns telling the story.  That the novel moves along and isn't bogged down, that it doesn't confuse the reader with this many points of view, is a measure of how far Pam's craftsmanship has advanced.  Keeping this many balls coherently in the air is no mediocre task.  Rae, Dante, Rose: "the second dog," Rae's fiancé, her therapist, her co-writer, the caretaker of her ranch and her cat, and both of Dante's vets, each have their own spin on Rae's story---what really happened, what the others aren't telling you.  In less capable hands, say, the writer of, Cowboys Are My Weakness, this approach would have likely caused the novel to land flat on its face; there are so many ways to easily stumble.  Pam's successfully making her way through without pratfall shows why she's currently serving as Director of Creative Writing, at UC Davis.

     I plan to return to Sight Hound.  Hopefully, often; as I have with Pam Houston's previous works.  I will also continue waiting with bated breath for her next arrival.

 -Eduardo Rey Brummel