numbat's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
An adventurous account of the first woman trapper in the arctic in the 1930s. Based on real events, there is as usual with this kind of story some liberties taken to make it more interesting. I enjoyed the passages from the animals point of view.
justineharvey's review
adventurous
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
kidgloves's review
5.0
This is a great story, well-told. Mundy has done a terrific job of rendering the small artic archipelago of Svalbard in the 1930s and reimagining the debut season of its first female trapper. She clearly evokes how beautiful and desolate, but also how dangerous, this environment would have been and the harsh life of an artic trapper. Mundy had a difficult challenge in making the central character, Wanny, likeable (working against the author here are a modern distaste for the fur trade and the seeming selfishness of a parent leaving behind two children—albeit teenagers—to pursue her dreams) but she nevertheless inhabits and humanises Wanny to the extent that she (the character) resembles both an accurate product of her era and also a pioneer of female emancipation. Mundy also did a great job in creating and sustaining the central relationship between Wanny and Anders—the dialogue exchanges were lovely and you could feel the tension of their relationship, largely confined as they were to a space barely big enough for a polar bear. As a personal taste, and with some notable exceptions, I don’t enjoy reading passages from an animal’s perspective; but I can recognise when it’s being done well, and Mundy never strays into sentimentality when she inhabits the animals that interact with our heroes. The ending is pretty spectacular, too—struck an excellent final note. All in all, this is a great read, displaying detail and passion that betrays extensive research and (in Mundy’s case) a personal affinity with Svalbard; one might even stretch this authorial affinity to include Wanny herself—while occupying different eras, it feels like author and subject might have been cut from the same cloth.
bibliobliss_au's review
4.0
One of the many joys of reading is traveling to other places and times. I guarantee that when you open up Cold Coast it will take you on a new and fascinating journey to a part of the world you’ve probably never experienced.
Set on a Norwegian archipelago, Svalbard, in the 1930s, Cold Coast is the story of Wanny Woldstad and her first expedition. Woldstad was Svalbard’s first female trapper and together with her trapping partner, she faced freezing temperatures, an unforgiving environment, long and treacherous hikes and the threat of polar bears while hunting in the region.
Many of my favourite historical fiction reads draw inspiration from real life people and Cold Coast absolutely had me looking up more about Woldstad’s fascinating life.
I love a book with a strong female lead and this book delivered. What a brave and determined woman Wanny Woldstad was!
I was so appreciative of the research the author obviously put in when writing this book. It made this a really immersive read, filled with everyday detail on life in the Arctic.
Some chapters within Cold Coast are written from the perspective of animals on the archipelago, but while fascinating, I was so interested in Woldstad’s story I was often impatient to get back to her chapters.
This book will absolutely appeal to many readers but I’ll note a content warning for my friends who will not enjoy reading about hunting animals.
Historical fiction fans will especially enjoy this book. Pick it up and be transported.
A big thank you to the publisher for the gifted copy of this book.
Set on a Norwegian archipelago, Svalbard, in the 1930s, Cold Coast is the story of Wanny Woldstad and her first expedition. Woldstad was Svalbard’s first female trapper and together with her trapping partner, she faced freezing temperatures, an unforgiving environment, long and treacherous hikes and the threat of polar bears while hunting in the region.
Many of my favourite historical fiction reads draw inspiration from real life people and Cold Coast absolutely had me looking up more about Woldstad’s fascinating life.
I love a book with a strong female lead and this book delivered. What a brave and determined woman Wanny Woldstad was!
I was so appreciative of the research the author obviously put in when writing this book. It made this a really immersive read, filled with everyday detail on life in the Arctic.
Some chapters within Cold Coast are written from the perspective of animals on the archipelago, but while fascinating, I was so interested in Woldstad’s story I was often impatient to get back to her chapters.
This book will absolutely appeal to many readers but I’ll note a content warning for my friends who will not enjoy reading about hunting animals.
Historical fiction fans will especially enjoy this book. Pick it up and be transported.
A big thank you to the publisher for the gifted copy of this book.
thereadingparamedic's review
3.0
3.5 stars.
I did like this book. I liked how the author alternated between telling the story from the view of Anders and Wanny, and then from nature (the foxes & cubs). I just found that the story didn’t portray how difficult it would have been for Wanny to have been accepted as a trapper in the 1930s. It all seemed very easy & that Anders almost immediately accepted her, rather than a male compatriot.
I think maybe part of why I didn’t love it, is because one of my favourite books is Under A Pole Star by Stef Penney, which is a rather big book which goes into much more detail about becoming a female explorer. Maybe if I didn’t have that comparison, I would have liked Cold Coast more.
I’m not saying I didn’t like it though, it’s still worth a read. Mundy’s writing style is easygoing & there’s a glossary to help with the language. Overall, an enjoyable read, I just felt it needed to be more.
I did like this book. I liked how the author alternated between telling the story from the view of Anders and Wanny, and then from nature (the foxes & cubs). I just found that the story didn’t portray how difficult it would have been for Wanny to have been accepted as a trapper in the 1930s. It all seemed very easy & that Anders almost immediately accepted her, rather than a male compatriot.
I think maybe part of why I didn’t love it, is because one of my favourite books is Under A Pole Star by Stef Penney, which is a rather big book which goes into much more detail about becoming a female explorer. Maybe if I didn’t have that comparison, I would have liked Cold Coast more.
I’m not saying I didn’t like it though, it’s still worth a read. Mundy’s writing style is easygoing & there’s a glossary to help with the language. Overall, an enjoyable read, I just felt it needed to be more.
tasmanian_bibliophile's review
4.0
‘Only two things are certainties: the long polar night and the long polar day.’
Svalbard, Norway, 1932. Wanny Wolstad, a young widow, want to enter the exclusively male world of the Norwegian trappers. While Anders Sæterdal reluctantly accepts her as a partner, he does not believe that she will be fit for the work involved. And so, we enter the cold, dark world of the Arctic winter. Wanny and Sæterdal are accompanied by three dogs. While Sæterdal’s dogs are accustomed to pulling sleds, Wanny’s dog must learn.
‘A trapper’s life cannot dwell on what ifs we learn what we can from each encounter to keep ourselves alive.’
After preparing for the winter, Wanny and Sæterdal confront the harsh Arctic weather as they set out to trap Arctic foxes. But weather is only one of the dangers they face. In addition to blizzards, glaciers, and dangerous sea ice, the pair also encounter polar bears. Over the course of the novel, we learn of the sacrifices Wanny has made to pursue her dream to be a trapper while she and Sæterdal become an effective team.
Alongside the work of the trappers with their claustrophobic living conditions, we also have the story of a young blue Arctic fox. This fox, the runt of the litter, is watchful of the hunters. The woman occasionally feeds her scraps. The fox needs to be vigilant, as well as an effective hunter, if she is to survive her first winter.
‘This land shows no care for a person who forgets that their hold here is conditional. Who would we be without a rifle in our hand? How long would we last out in the open?’
Ms Mundy has based her novel on a real person: Wanny Wolstad (1893 – 1959) was the first female trapper on Svalbard. I found this novel totally absorbing, from its portrayal of the harsh and dangerous but beautiful landscape, through its depiction of the issues Wanny and Sæterdal faced both as a team and as individuals.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
Svalbard, Norway, 1932. Wanny Wolstad, a young widow, want to enter the exclusively male world of the Norwegian trappers. While Anders Sæterdal reluctantly accepts her as a partner, he does not believe that she will be fit for the work involved. And so, we enter the cold, dark world of the Arctic winter. Wanny and Sæterdal are accompanied by three dogs. While Sæterdal’s dogs are accustomed to pulling sleds, Wanny’s dog must learn.
‘A trapper’s life cannot dwell on what ifs we learn what we can from each encounter to keep ourselves alive.’
After preparing for the winter, Wanny and Sæterdal confront the harsh Arctic weather as they set out to trap Arctic foxes. But weather is only one of the dangers they face. In addition to blizzards, glaciers, and dangerous sea ice, the pair also encounter polar bears. Over the course of the novel, we learn of the sacrifices Wanny has made to pursue her dream to be a trapper while she and Sæterdal become an effective team.
Alongside the work of the trappers with their claustrophobic living conditions, we also have the story of a young blue Arctic fox. This fox, the runt of the litter, is watchful of the hunters. The woman occasionally feeds her scraps. The fox needs to be vigilant, as well as an effective hunter, if she is to survive her first winter.
‘This land shows no care for a person who forgets that their hold here is conditional. Who would we be without a rifle in our hand? How long would we last out in the open?’
Ms Mundy has based her novel on a real person: Wanny Wolstad (1893 – 1959) was the first female trapper on Svalbard. I found this novel totally absorbing, from its portrayal of the harsh and dangerous but beautiful landscape, through its depiction of the issues Wanny and Sæterdal faced both as a team and as individuals.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
wtb_michael's review
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
4.0
This felt like a kind of old fashioned novel - a grand adventure, a bit of romance, some breathtaking nature writing.
kimmar1's review
5.0
A beautiful novel. Set in the brutal landscape of Svalbard. Australian author Mundy was inspired by her many years as a tour guide in Svalbard and by the real-life story of Wanny Woldstad, who in 1932 became the first female trapper and hunter in the Norwegian archipelago. Loved the story of Little Blue (a young blue Arctic fox) - a parallel story to that of Woldstad - showing the harsh reality of surviving an Arctic winter.
Woldstad's fellow trapper is Andres Saeterdal - a gruff man. The two of them forge a touching relationship while confronting polar bears and living through the strangeness of the polar night. Highly recommend.
Woldstad's fellow trapper is Andres Saeterdal - a gruff man. The two of them forge a touching relationship while confronting polar bears and living through the strangeness of the polar night. Highly recommend.
miajoan's review
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
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