Earth Shattering Quakes Both Real And Metaphorical. This is an intriguing dual timeline tale that takes us through deep family secrets… and the 1964 Anchorage Alaska earthquake – still, 60 yrs later, one of the strongest ever recorded (since 1930) – that may or may not have helped hide some of them. It is a strong tale of privacy, pain, the desire to live the life of one’s choosing… and of normal people with the potential to be superstar celebrities… and superstar celebrities who just want to be normal people. It is a story of thinking you know a particular family member as well as anyone possibly can… and suddenly finding a revelation that you never saw coming. It is a tale that will make you feel like you are actively in the coastal woods of Nova Scotia… and the wilds of coastal Alaska. It is a tale that brings you front and center to the chaos of being in the midst of one of the strongest earthquakes humanity has ever actively recorded… and a tale that brings you front and center to the chaos of finding out that those you thought you knew best, you hardly actually knew at all. It is truly an excellent tale, and it is truly superbly told. Very much recommended.
This review of A Storm of Infinite Beauty by Julianne Maclean was originally written on September 23, 2023.