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Synopsis:

A mesmerising novel of two sisters on a Pacific Northwest island whose lives are upended by an unexpected visitor — a tale of family, obsession, and a mysterious creature in the woods, by the celebrated, bestselling author of Disappearing Earth.

They were sisters and they would last past the end of time.

Sam and her sister, Elena, dream of another life. On the island off the coast of Washington where they were born and raised, they and their mother struggle to survive. Sam works long days on the ferry that delivers wealthy mainlanders to their vacation homes while Elena bartends at the local golf club, but even together they can’t earn enough to get by, stirring their frustration about the limits that shape their existence.

Then one night on the boat, Sam spots a bear swimming the dark waters of the channel. Where is it going? What does it want? When the bear turns up by their home, Sam, terrified, is more convinced than ever that it’s time to leave the island. But Elena responds differently to the massive beast. Enchanted by its presence, she throws into doubt the plan to escape and puts their long-held dream in danger.

A story about the bonds of sisterhood and the mysteries of the animals that live among us — and within us — Bear is a propulsive, mythical, rich novel from one of the most acclaimed young writers in America.

Review:

Bear is the story of two sisters who live with their dying mother in a house that is falling apart on an island filled with money and tourists. When a bear swims to the island and starts to terrorize the inhabitants, the two sisters have opposite reactions. Sam sees the bear as a threat to their lives whereas Elena sees the bear as a sign of miracles to come. The bear becomes an object that draws a wedge between the two sisters and is ultimately a bringer of truth.

Sometimes metaphors are hard to figure out, but in Bear, the arrival of the animal and the two sisters’ opposite reactions make it pretty easy. The huge figure of the hulking animal, smelling of musk and rot, is really the arrival of reality for Sam. She has lived in a world of obviousness and delusion, thinking that there are plans for after their mother died, and that it was just her and her sister against the world. The bear shows her that Elena has other interests besides her plans. Elena is burdened with the day to day crush of debt and her mother’s care, problems with no end in sight, and the threat of their house falling apart. To Elena, the bear is something new, something that gives her hope, something that makes Elena think about a better life where she spends time escaping her burdens. 

I enjoyed Bear more than I expected. I did not initially care much for Sam. She is rude, condescending, and not really interested in anything but getting off of the island as soon as her mother dies. While the story unfolds, the delusions that she holds unravel, and we realize that needs our sympathy more than our judgment. Both sisters are dealing with the same central grief of their mother’s eventual death, and Sam’s way of dealing with her mother’s sickness is to have dreams and almost an excitement toward how much different and better her life will be as soon as she dies. This makes her cold toward everyone she meets, and while her delusions fall apart, there is a little sense of satisfaction that she was so completely wrong and left with nothing in the end.

Bear is a good novel, and it is one where many pieces of the story will stick with me for a long time after finishing the novel. I like the remoteness of the island and the indifference of the character who changes the life of Elena and Sam. The bear does not care about their mother, their finances, their house, their life situation, and the secrets that they keep from each other, but he is able to be the catalyst to the truth being revealed. 

I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.