I AM THE ICEWORM

When the plane carrying Allison to the I§upiat village where her mother is teaching crashes and the pilot is killed, she is rescued by an old I§upiat hunter and brought to a remote village. There she learns firsthand about the wonder and misery of modern Eskimo life and helps bring an outcast disabled girl back into the heart of her community. More a portrait of a culture than a survival story, Easley's first novel shows clearly how the intrusion of modern life into the remote Arctic has brought irreversible harm to the natives. But she also shows the tenacious spirit of the people who live in the harshest, most barren wilderness, yet have everything they need. Although a bit facile, the changes that result from Allison's encounter with the villagers are a nice touch, and the author carefully avoids moralizing and easy answers. A compelling window into a remote world, wrought with sensitivity and compassion. (Fiction. 10+)