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My Last Continent A Novel Midge Raymond Books

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My Last Continent A Novel Midge Raymond Books

"It seems like there are two kinds of people who come to Antarctica. Those who have run out of places to go, and those who have run out of places to hide."

Deb Gardner is the latter kind and so is her love interest, Keller Sullivan. As readers, we know early on there will be a shipwreck that will have dire consequences for them. But the story unfolds gradually, with chapters that take us way back into Deb's life and then quickly moves forward to days before the shipwreck. Like a jigsaw puzzle, we begin to figure out who Deb really is and understand the significance of her love affair with Keller.

IN the meantime, we learn a lot about the last continent-Antarctica. Midge Raymond has certainly done her homework and her insights feel authentic and fascinating. We learn the paradox of tourism to this mysterious continent: how tourism both preserves and harms the continent and the penguins and how each act we perform inadvertently hastens their extinction-whether it's eating a fish dinner onboard or losing a wedding ring in the Antarctic ocean. Keller says, "The tourists were obsessed with firsts. Scott, Amundsen, all of them -it was about doing it first. Now everyone is obsessed with lasts. Checking off their last continent. Seeing it before it's all gone. Seems they'll be bragging about who photographed the last living Adelie."

Ultimately, this book is like the movie Titanic with teeth. It's a poignant love story about two damaged people who must balance their separate lives with a passion for the continent. It's about how to responsibly take our role within the ecosystem. And it's also about how each life matters - from our own human lives to the lives of others in the animal and bird kingdom. It's also a page-turner that had me reading way into the night.


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My Last Continent A Novel Midge Raymond Books Reviews

I read Midge Raymond's collection of short stories, "Forgetting English" and was completely captivated by her unique and extraordinarily thoughtful writing style. Needless to say, I was chomping at the bit for the release of "My Last Continent." Raymond does not disappoint. This novel is a journey through the emotional and ethical decisions of a most captivating heroine. Raymond's effective crafting of this story in flashback style had me unable to put this book down. I was truly transported to the bleak, yet somehow shiny ice covered beaches of Antarctica where various species of penguins are doing their best to survive in light of their rapidly deteriorating environment. The emotional climax of "My Last Continent" left me feeling hopeful. So hopeful that I wanted to go back to page one and immediately begin my journey again. Cheers to Midge Raymond for sharing this compelling and important story.
I loved "My Last Continent"! It is a page-turner, but I made myself slow down after the first third, so that I could savor the writing and the suspense. Other reviewers have described the plot and setting, and I like to avoid spoilers, so I'll concentrate on other details. First, the structure, with its seamless time transitions and flashbacks, regulates the pacing. This also gives the reader deeper insights into the main character, Deb's, motivations and vulnerabilities. The descriptions of Antarctica and the different varieties of penguins are detailed and clear. I knew so little about either when I began the book, and I learned much. I personally love workplace "behind-the-scenes" type settings, and Deb's seasonal job of working as a naturalist on a tour boat was fascinating to me. The secondary characters, some of the crew and two particular passengers, enhance Deb's story. I found her romantic relationship with Keller to be realistic and refreshingly non-stereotypical. And, as others have noted, the ending is beautifully done--moving and satisfying. A great read, highly recommended! (PS In checking the "sex & violence" boxes as "some", I may have been misleading. The sex is gently done, pretty much just hinted at, and the violence is not graphic--it's just part of the historical context and the shipwreck. I think it would even be fine for book-loving teens.)
"It seems like there are two kinds of people who come to Antarctica. Those who have run out of places to go, and those who have run out of places to hide."

Deb Gardner is the latter kind and so is her love interest, Keller Sullivan. As readers, we know early on there will be a shipwreck that will have dire consequences for them. But the story unfolds gradually, with chapters that take us way back into Deb's life and then quickly moves forward to days before the shipwreck. Like a jigsaw puzzle, we begin to figure out who Deb really is and understand the significance of her love affair with Keller.

IN the meantime, we learn a lot about the last continent-Antarctica. Midge Raymond has certainly done her homework and her insights feel authentic and fascinating. We learn the paradox of tourism to this mysterious continent how tourism both preserves and harms the continent and the penguins and how each act we perform inadvertently hastens their extinction-whether it's eating a fish dinner onboard or losing a wedding ring in the Antarctic ocean. Keller says, "The tourists were obsessed with firsts. Scott, Amundsen, all of them -it was about doing it first. Now everyone is obsessed with lasts. Checking off their last continent. Seeing it before it's all gone. Seems they'll be bragging about who photographed the last living Adelie."

Ultimately, this book is like the movie Titanic with teeth. It's a poignant love story about two damaged people who must balance their separate lives with a passion for the continent. It's about how to responsibly take our role within the ecosystem. And it's also about how each life matters - from our own human lives to the lives of others in the animal and bird kingdom. It's also a page-turner that had me reading way into the night.