Cold Coast

LoveReading Says

Based on the remarkable true story of Wanny Woldstad, the first female hunter to enter the remote Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard in the 1930s, Robyn Mundy’s Cold Coast is itself remarkable. A soulful, stirring, enthralling story of a woman’s indefatigable resilience and survival that also takes in the captivating tale of a young blue Arctic fox that’s navigating the same territory.

Even before she ventures into Svalbard’s unforgiving landscapes, Wanny does things her own way. She’s a straight-talking young widow working as a taxi driver, with an undeniable talent for handling rifles. Desperate to join a hunting trip to Svalbard (“because it is a place of stories”), she’s relentless in stating her case to her potential trapping partner, Anders Saeterdal. She triumphs, and they set sail for the Arctic.

Over the course of a year, Wanny’s interactions with brutal blizzards, polar bears and frozen fjords unfold alongside the story of a young fox experiencing similar interactions. Combined, their stories create a raw and majestic novel about survival. Quite simply, Cold Coast is dazzling.

Reviewed by Joanne Owen
Joanne Owen’s lifelong love of reading and writing began when she was growing up in Pembrokeshire, and very much wished that witches (and Mrs Pepperpot) were real.
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About Cold Coast

Shortlisted for the ARA Historical Novel Prize';Cold Coast summons the raw beauty of Svalbard with achingly evocative prose. At once visceral and lyrical, I was totally absorbed in the story of Wanny Woldstad and her yearning for wilder freedoms.' Hannah Kent, author of Burial RitesIn 1932, Wanny Woldstad, a young widow, travels to Svalbard, daring to enter the Norwegian trappers' fiercely guarded male domain. She must prove to Anders Sterdal, her trapping partner who makes no secret of his disdain, that a woman is fit for the task.

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