Sarah Canary by
September 2016
This book is billed as SF, and…I guess it is? It kind of moves between worlds, much like its titular protagonist may or may not do. What the book certainly does is vividly evoke the 19th-century American (north)west, with all of its hardships and wonders. It also subtly but very, very sharply comments on the racism and sexism of both that age and our own. I really cared about these characters and found myself reading in a breathless panic at times, hoping that the worst would not come to pass. There’s a lot of adventure here, and a lot of humor, and a lot of mystery, and a good dose of melancholy as well. I can’t really describe it, and I couldn’t even really say what it’s about (other than “a group of strange people going on unplanned, adventurous journey”), but I would definitely recommend it.