It is obvious from reading Lawrence Osgood’s Midnight Sun that the author has an abiding, deep love for the Arctic and its Inuit inhabitants. To his credit, his love is neither blind nor paternalistic, as is shown in this often brutal yet honest depiction of life in an isolated Arctic community caught in the maelstrom of northern Canadian politics and traditional Inuit ways.

The novel’s style is distinctive, utilizing traditional Inuit myth and spirituality alongside a straightforward narrative about residents of the northern coastal village of Poniktuk. Conflicts arise on many levels: the choice between self-government versus “devolution” of powers from the federal government; between Christianity and the Inuit spirit world; between the autocratic chief and those who challenge his authority; between the love of the land and the love of material security.

All of this is set to a background of the mythic legend of Sedna, the spirit under the sea, who, frightened that the Inuit are no longer worshipping her, sets in motion events that forever change the face of this torn community.

While there is no question of Osgood’s commitment to his subject matter, he occasionally allows this fascination to
hinder the easy flow of the narrative through an overabundance of descriptive, dense detail. The villagers, however, are beautifully rendered, with all their quirks and flaws, and their distinctiveness remains intact throughout. It is largely the strength of their portrayal – moving, disturbing, heartfelt – that makes Midnight Sun a worthy read.